


Chasing Myths

by ranchelle



Series: Chasing Myths [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythical Creatures, Day At The Beach, Emo Keith (Voltron), Firebird Keith, Injuries - burns, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Lance-flavoured water, M/M, Merman x Firebird, Shiro is Tired, Slow Build, Sphinx Pidge, The Galra are werecats, There be dragons, Voltron is a happy family, Were-beast Shiro, Witch Hunk, courtship rituals, hidden identities, male pronouns for pidge, mermaid lance, myths and legends, the best family, they don't exactly go to space, tragic backstories, with fanart now!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:53:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 88,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9368798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ranchelle/pseuds/ranchelle
Summary: AU: Mythical creatures of legend with some canon parallels/divergence.Lance was nineteen when he watched the desert burn and knew his life was about to change.In a world where mythical creatures are living among us, some more hidden than others, Lance is a hopeful Mer who dreams of being a pilot. In rescuing Shiro, he finds himself allied with a Witch, a Sphinx, a Were-beast and a most rare and tragic Myth—a Firebird.Fanart of this fic available onmy tumblr!





	1. Merpeople Can Be Pilots Too

Lance was nine years old when he Manifested.

He was in the water and a shiny red stone caught his attention. It was a little farther than he could reach so he dived deeper, stretching out with his hand to grab it. He was running out of air but he was so close, so he pushed forward a little more, holding onto one of the rocks at the bottom to keep from rising. He reached for it with his fingers but it slipped through. He pushed forward again, deeper, ignoring the loud pounding of his heart and the burning in his lungs.

He curled his fingers over the stone and let go of his hold on the rock, kicking his way to the top. An icy sensation prickled all over his skin and the burning feeling in his chest turned into a strong chill. A few more kicks, and he stopped feeling the burning need to gulp air.

When he breached the surface, everything bursted into white, burning light. He screeched and shut his eyes, diving right back under the cool waters. He warily opened his eyes and everything looked lighter, brighter, fresher. He opened his palm and looked at the stone. As he turned it over, there were small stars within the red of the smooth stone. It was beautiful, like ice and fire entwined within glass. He was about to tuck it in the pocket of his shorts when he realised he didn't have them on anymore. Instead, he felt something smooth and ridged where his legs were and something swished around him in the water.

" _¡Lancito! ¿Donde estás?_ "

He heard his mother's voice. He turned, and he could _see_  the very movement of the water around him. Something large, silky and blue kept swishing in the water behind him and he tried to follow it with his eyes.

In a moment, his mother was in the water next to him, her eyes twinkling bright. He could see the specks of emerald in her blue that he had never seen before.

" _¡Mamá!_ " he cried out, but his voice came out as bubbles.

" _Lancito,_ " she said, and he could hear, no, feel her voice coming from slits sitting under her green-speckled collarbone. She did not have a tail, but her collar and legs were spotted with bright blue scales, like paint splattered on a canvas.

She swam over and embraced him and they kicked to the surface once more. He hid his face in her shoulder, afraid of the bright light, but she soothed him, running her hand over his hair as the icy cold in his chest settled in and started to feel _right_.

He cracked open his eyes. It was still bright, but his eyes were adjusting and it became easier to see. His mother held onto him for a while, then loosened her hold. He absently moved his feet, wanting to tread water. He could not balance and slipped right back under the water, but not before catching a proper glimpse of that beautiful blue silk splashing the surface.

It was a tail. A really large tail.

In the water, he looked over himself, running his hands over thick, smooth scales where his legs used to be, the blues gradually fading to a turquoise in some parts, with red and gold shimmering off them as they reflected the colour of the corals beneath him and the sun above him. Thin, transclucent webbing stretched between his fingers as he flexed his hand. Bits of blue and green specked his upper arms and collar like tiny gems. He pulled at a scale on his thigh and let go immediately when it bent. It felt akin to pulling on a nail and he hated how that felt.

His tail was long, almost twice as long as his legs were, and he knew he had pretty long legs for a kid his age. He felt something along his spine open out like a sail, and like his tail, he could swish it around in the water. He craned his neck to try to look at it and ended up turning in circles like a puppy-dog chasing its tail.

He heard his mother's pealing laughter as the rest of his family splashed and swam over to join them. They circled him in the water, most of them freckled with shining scales. All of them had legs. Only one other—his grandmother—had a long, silvery tail.

They trilled and chattered and laughed, watching their young one trying to catch a hold of his slippery tail to get a proper look at it.

When he has had enough, he clumsily swam to the surface, surrounded by family, exhilarated and exhausted.

The red stone that caught his eye was gone and he never found it again.  


* * *

  
Lance was twelve when he decided Hunk was his best friend and being best friends meant no secrets.

"I've got a secret!" said Lance, grinning from ear to ear as the two of them sat on the veranda of his house, swinging their legs and eating sandwiches Hunk brought from home.

"Are you sure it's okay to tell?" asked Hunk. "You're not very good at keeping secrets."

"It's my secret, so it's fine!" Lance shared many secrets with him. Which meant there was barely any left to tell. Sometimes he wanted consolation for something embarrassing he did, and sometimes he just wanted a willing accomplice.

Just two weeks ago, he told Hunk to discreetly ask his grandmother to let Lance attend her weekly knitting workshops. Hunk's grandmother had been elated to work with someone so young. Lance made Hunk swear not to tell his family about his new hobby. Hunk was happy to share this secret, especially after Lance attempted to knit him a pair of socks that didn't fit his feet but somehow made a perfect pouch for his phone.

They ended up having matching phone-pouches.

The last big secret was about his one-sided crush on a girl in the class next door a month ago. She decided she didn't like boys after he confessed his crush on her. Hunk spent the rest of the day watching Lance cry into his ice cream. He made Hunk swear not to tell anyone although Hunk was pretty sure their whole school knew because Lance did confess to the girl in front of a classroom of students.

He wondered what the big secret was this time. It seemed rather big, given the equal amount of excitement and anxiety in Lance's voice.

"First off, you have to promise not to tell anyone," said Lance, in a voice as serious and low as he could get it. The excited grin on his face stayed, and Hunk scratched his chin and gave him a lop-sided smile.

"Um, sure," said Hunk.

"I know I can trust you, bro."

Did Lance develop yet another crush? He noticed Lance sighing with hearts in his eyes at a boy with a skateboard in the park the other day.

"Who's your lucky crush this time, buddy?" asked Hunk, giving him a friendly nudge in the shoulder.

"Huh?" Lance stared at him. Then he realised and corrected him, "Oh. No, no, it's not that kind of secret. This one's really personal. It's like, a special family secret! It's so secret you have to swear no one outside my family can know."

"Oh," said Hunk. He had an idea what Lance wanted to say, but he knew it was something Lance wanted to tell him, so he played the part of the good unknowing friend.

"I'll show you," said Lance. "We gotta go to Blue Beach."

He pulled Hunk down the small path to the part of the beach where no tourist would go. He had called that stretch of beach "Blue" as a kid and the name stuck. Blue Beach was sheltered from the main tourist traps by large rocky ledges. Being far from the hotels and the nearest transport a bus that only came by twice a day, it was easy for the residents in the area to find personal patches of beach not frequented for their own use. Blue Beach was basically Lance's backyard beach, and even Hunk was allowed to go only when invited.

Lance was as giddy as a child eager to show off his new toys as he stripped down to his briefs and hopped into the water. The last article of clothing was soon flung in the direction of the shore.

There was a minute of silence as his friend disappeared under the water.

"Lance!" Hunk called out worriedly as he picked up the discarded clothes after his friend. "What are you doing?"

There was a loud splash.

"Hunk!" yelled Lance, waving his arm as he clumsily bobbed his shoulders above the water.

"Woah!" said Hunk as he took off his boots and waded in. "Your eyes are bluer than usual."

"Really? That's all you noticed?" Lance splashed his tail loudly behind him.

"Hey! Your teeth's kind of pointy too."

"Huuuunkkk!"

"Okay, I see your tail," laughed Hunk. "So you're a full-fledged merman, congratulations!"

"You're not even surprised," grumbled Lance.

"I am! I didn't expect you to be a fully Manifested Mer, but you are. I'm surprised."

"So you did know I am Mer," sighed Lance.

"Well, your gran did tell me more than once that most of your family are part-Mer. She even showed me a group photo of your cousins showing off their scales."

"Pssshh. Only my _abuelita_ and I have a complete Mer form, so that makes me special! But maaaan, trust her to ruin all the surprise."

"Your grandma's cool," said Hunk. "You're very much like her."

"I'm nothing like her! She doesn't know how to shut up at all," huffed Lance. He turned in a circle and swished his fin and tail around like a silken skirt. "Anyway, what do you think of my tail? Is it a ten or is it a _ten_?"

"A hundred points, dude. It's really pretty," said Hunk, smiling and giving him two thumbs up. "I'm glad you showed me."

The lanky boy beamed at the compliment. "Next time, bring your surfboard. I'll take you on the best ride of your life!" he promised.  


* * *

  
Lance was fifteen when he realised Hunk wasn't quite like other people.

Granted, Hunk always seemed like he had his shit together much better than anyone in Lance's family. He never missed a sock and always knew where his keys were. He also always managed to find Lance's misplaced stuff. Lance had always chalked it up to Hunk being an observant, organised person, which he was, but he realised that wasn't all.  
  
One day, Hunk had stopped in front of a traffic crossing where a fatal accident had occurred a day before. A sign calling for witnesses of the accident stood on the pavement next to it. He stared at it for a moment, and had said, "Lance, you know the guys we passed by earlier outside the arcade?"

"Yeah? They were pretty rude."

"One of them knocked down a woman right there," Hunk said softly, his gaze lingering at a spot on the road. "Red flashy car. He was drunk. Ran her over and didn't look back. I bet he didn't even know what he did until the next day."

"Oh my god, are you a psychic?" said Lance, in awe.

Hunk shook his head. "I just feel...the marks they leave behind. This one's feels like a big hurt that goes really deep into the ground. One that won't begin to heal until the truth is out."

"That means we got find a way to let the cops know," whispered Lance.

"I'll ask my mom to do that," said Hunk. "She knows someone at the station."

"Is she psychic?"

"No, she's a Witch. I'm one too. An 'Earth-Witch', to be specific."

"What's a witch? I've never heard of such a Myth. Are they like, magical and sorcery-ish?"

"We're not Myths," said Hunk. "We're just humans with a strong connection to the land."

"So, you were born an 'Earth-Witch'?"

"My mother and grandmother are witches. When I showed an affinity for it as a kid, they decided to raise me as one."

"Is it hard being one?" asked Lance, curiosity peaked.

"Nah. It's mostly how to listen to our elements and work with it. It's like, uh, a way of life? I don't know about how 'normal' should be like, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Besides, it comes with a lot of tasty traditional recipes," Hunk grinned. "I definitely like that part."

"Hunk, you're amazing," said Lance, and he meant it.  


* * *

  
Lance was seventeen when he saw a Myth other than the Mer for the first time.

He had heard about other Myths, but they were secretive and often hunted down to extinction. Except for the Mer, since it was common knowledge that merpeople were lazy and air-headed, and that all they could do was swim a little faster than humans. He often felt angry at the assumption people had of merpeople as a child, but when he was older, he knew how important it was for the world around him to keep assuming such things of the Mer.

Hunk, of course, never believed in those stereotypes for one minute.

"You're one of the most hardworking people I know, Lance," Hunk had told him when he voiced his insecurities about how he could never get into the Garrison's space program. "If anyone deserves to get in, it's you."

They both got in, and Lance felt hopeful he might just be able to make it into the piloting module as well.

He passed by two men in Garrison uniform walking side by side, talking animatedly about something. He felt the skin under his collarbone tingle and turned to look at them.

"Just _think_  about what we could find there, Shiro!" said one of them. He had sandy brown hair and large round glasses that perched on his freckled nose.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Matt," laughed 'Shiro', the taller of the two men. "Prof Sam's proposal has only just been approved. It'll still be at least another term before we can assemble and send a crew there. We don't know if they'll shortlist us as crew candidates."

"I'm definitely going by hook or by crook," said Matt, grinning. "Just you wait."

Lance stared, unmoving and unable to tear his gaze away.

"Lance? What's wrong?" asked Hunk, carrying two packets of juice from a nearby vending machine. He followed Lance's gaze to the two older men and then he understood.

They walked quietly back to their dorm room and when the door slid behind Lance, he spoke up.

"I felt something from one of them. I don't know who, but it feels like one of them could be...special."

"They do feel special," affirmed Hunk. He passed Lance his drink and sat on the chair at his table. Lance took the other chair, straddling it and lazily swivelling it as he fiddled with the straw of the juice pouch.

"You know them?" asked Lance.

"Yeah, Matt and Shiro are pretty famous. They're Garrison elites, you know? The tall one with black hair's Shirogane. He graduated top of his class. The other guy's Matt Holt. He's Professor Holt's son."

"Sam Holt, the researcher leading the Kerberos exploration project? Holy crapstick. That was his son."

"I believe Matt is a Sphinx," said Hunk.

"What?" Lance yelled.

"Shhh!" hushed Hunk, looking around nervously. "Not so loud!"

Lance quickly lowered his voice. "How did you know?"

"Everyone knows Prof Holt's a Sphinx. It's not written on his profile, but it was mentioned during one of his seminars."

"Which you attended because you're an engineering nerd," said Lance.

Hunk nodded, "Which I attended because I really admire his latest paper on the use of adaptive-cycle engines in the new models of Garrison fighter jets—"

"Okay," Lance held up a hand and stopped Hunk before he could go full engineering-nerd on him. "I get that he's a really cool guy and everyone who attends his seminars would sort of know he's a Sphinx."

"Matt gives off the same energy as the Prof," said Hunk. "My guess is he's one too."

"Well, that would explain the tingling in my gills."

"Gills? You don't have them now," said Hunk.

"Fine. I mean, I get this weird feeling where my gills should be," explained Lance. "Maybe it's reacting to another Myth. Or something. I trust my gills like I trust my gut."

"Your gills are probably right. Sphinxes are strong and leave a lot of residue energy in their steps."

"Call it my 'spider-senses tingling'," grinned Lance. "Or is it 'fishy-senses'? No, that doesn't sound right..."

"If all Sphinxes are like Prof Holt and Matt, then they're really cool," said Hunk with a dreamy look on his face.

"You a fan?"

"Kind of," grinned Hunk. "I'd love to sit down and chat with them, you know? Pick their brain and all."

"If they're so smart, why aren't they, like, wanted by the government or the military?" asked Lance. "They seem pretty...easy-going."

"I'm not sure why, but they've got a reputation for being harmless. Like the Mer, I guess?" mused Hunk.

"Except they're really smart and everyone loves them, unlike the 'lazy' Mer," said Lance drily.

Hunk sighed. Lance's insecurity lit up like a beacon whenever he compared himself to others.

"Lance—"

"Right," said Lance, waving him off and scratching the back of his neck absently when he saw Hunk's disappointed look. "Stop stereotyping Myths. That's the thing to do. Which I'm going to do. Like now."

Hunk wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder and squeezed.

Their coursework was mostly theoretical in the first year, and Lance was bored. When he applied for the Garrison's space program, he had spent all his free time working his ass off studying aircraft engineering with Hunk in order to pass one of many sections of the written exam. When he got in, there was a big party back home with his family, but he knew going to the Garrison meant he was going to be away from home for long stretches at a time.

"I'm glad you're with me, Hunk," said Lance, holding out his fist.

"Same, bro," Hunk fist-bumps him.

"Now we need to get some air because I am sick of math. There's only so much a growing boy can take!" whined Lance.

"But first years have an early curfew until mid-term," protested Hunk.

"Well, secret agent Lance has got a foolproof route out of here," grinned Lance.

"Lance, no," groaned Hunk.

"Lance, yes."

Half an hour later, they crept back to their room safely, arms filled with food bars and drinks. Lance dubbed their vending machine run a success.  


* * *

   
It was weeks later when he felt the tingling in his gills again.

"Move it," came an impatient growl as someone brushed past his shoulder while he was busy chatting with Hunk on the way from class.

"Rude," he retorted reflexively, but when his collar tingled, he snapped his head around to look for the source of his discomfort. He didn't know why, but he ran after them and his hand was on their arm before he could think.

"What do you want?" A boy around his height scowled at him, glaring him in the eye. Lance's vision instinctively adjusted and for a short moment, he saw the dark irises turn a rich violet.

"Uhh..."

The boy brushed off Lance's hand and quickly stormed off, impatiently brushing past a few more students hanging around the corridor. Lance stared at his fingers, wondering why something in his stomach fluttered in a way that made him feel pinned, like staring at a shark in the water.

"Was he...?" asked Hunk. _A Myth?_

"I think so?" said Lance, absently rubbing his collar. "But with the way he's behaving, he's definitely not going to be making any friends around here."

"His residue energy feels dangerous," said Hunk. "Maybe we should stay away."

"I think he was in our class earlier on," Lance pointed out. "Though it's strange I didn't see him before today."

They got to know more about him in piloting class the next day.

The instructor had gone down the list of students taking the piloting simulation and when it was Lance's turn, he was nervous as hell and had bitten his nails down to the quick. He tried to put on a smile and play it off smoothly as he worked the controls. This was a fighter-jet simulation trial for all potential pilot cadets, and fighter jets were usually solo missions, so he had to work the simulator by himself.

He crashed the simulator within minutes.

"And that is the worst result I've seen all week, McClain. Get out of there," barked the instructor.

Lance bit his lip, feeling his cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Kogane," said the instructor. "Get in there and show these toddlers how it's done."

"Yes, sir."

Lance felt his gills under his collar shiver when he heard that voice. He looked to the source of it and saw the rude, angry boy with raven hair and a permanent look of displeasure.

At least now he could put a name to that.

Kogane, as it turned out, totally  _slaughtered_ the simulation. The first-years watched in disbelief as he cleared obstacles with ease as if flying down a straight runway. After the first minute, Lance tore his gaze from the screen and looked through the glass into the simulator at Kogane's face. That shit-eating brat was smirking as he weaved and threaded his way through the canyons like a tailor. Lance decided at that moment if anyone was going to be a _master tailor_ , it wasn't going to be Kogane. It was going to be him.

A few students clapped in awe as Kogane finished the simulation with a near perfect score. Lance noticed that his smirk was gone and his bitch-resting face was firmly back in place the second he stepped out of the sim. He looked away, his nose lightly wrinkled, like he hadn't asked for any of the attention.

Hunk leaned over to Lance and whispered, "That was awesome."  
  
"Show off," Lance muttered under his breath.

The instructor explained the maneuvers Kogane executed, and how every aspect of the piloting was perfectly-timed.

Lance raised his hand and asked the question all his classmates wanted to ask. "Sir, if he did everything right, why didn't he get full marks?"

The instructor looked from Lance to Kogane and said flatly, "Five points docked for being unkempt. Pilots shouldn't have hair like that. All right, you lot, no more stupid questions. Class dismissed."

Lance had a constipated look on his face all the way to the canteen.

"Dude, you all right?" asked Hunk.

Lance snorted through his nose and his shoulders couldn't stop shaking as he giggled and wheezed. He gripped Hunk's shoulder as he tried to keep himself upright instead of curling right over and laugh.

"Five marks deducted for having a _mullet_!" Lance burst out while trying to catch his breath.

Hunk looked to his friend, and then broke into giggles with him so hard he could feel tears in his eyes. "Ohhh, good one, Lance!"

After the humiliation of the simulation crash, Lance swore to himself he would take that arrogant smirk off Kogane's face fair and square.

"He did? I don't think I've ever seen him smile at all," said Hunk and Lance realised he had voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Yeah, he totally did," Lance rolled his eyes at his roommate. "He grinned the whole time in the sim like he was going make us watch him eat shit."

"So, he had a...shit-eating grin?" said Hunk.

"Yes, that," said Lance. "Worse."

"You watched his face while he was in the sim? The whole time?" Hunk pointed out.

Lance blinked. "Uhh...I did that?"  
  
Suddenly he didn't feel so sure about himself.

"Yeah, you did," nodded Hunk, affirming Lance's actions for him.  
  
Over the next few weeks, Lance caught rumours about Kogane, a hot topic ripe for gossip. Keith Kogane was apparently his full name, Lance found out after hearing the girls in his class talk excitedly about how they spotted him fencing with Shiro.

 _Damn it, he gets to train with Shiro, that's so unfair,_  thought Lance. His thought was interrupted with another juicy piece of gossip from a group chattering at the back.

"I heard he got in without having to do the written exam," said one of the boys. "Someone working in the administration told me he got in with a strong recommendation letter and a perfect flight simulator score."

"He's probably given a full ride too," chirped another student.

"Some people just have the front seat while we peasants struggle to get a spot to stand, huh," commented a girl next to them. The other students muttered agreements.

 _A perfect student with strings to pull and probably a darn powerful Myth to boot. Some people really do have it made, huh,_  Lance sulked.

Still, he wasn't going to give up without a fight. Keith Kogane was going _down_  and Lance's era would come.

He'd prove that one day, a fish can fly better than any bird.  


* * *

   
Lance was eighteen as he watched in horror the news which reported the failure of the Kerberos mission.  
  
He had come to respect Shiro a lot, knowing the man worked hard and deserved everything he got but was now accused of pilot error. Professor Holt and his son were reported dead too.

He watched as reporters chipped in with their uninformed and unscientific opinions on the failure of the mission, debating it like it was marketplace banter and arguing with unabashed, almost gleeful enthusiasm how big a mistake the mission was.

Lance realised, with a sinking feeling, that these three great men were gone and the only thing the world would forever associate their names with would be this one _mistake_.  
  
That night, he was inconsolable, sobbing and whimpering, paralysed by the thought that such good people were gone and dismissed by the Garrison, by the world, as if they were a smear to be wiped off and forgotten.

All Hunk could do was sit by his friend and listen to him cry.

The next day, Kogane didn't turn up for class.

It wasn't until a month later when Lance was allowed to join the advanced piloting classes when Iverson told him, in front of his fellow cadets, he only got in because _someone_  dropped out due to disciplinary issues.

It didn't take long for the cadets to put two and two together to know that the _someone_  was Keith.  


* * *

  
Lance was nineteen when he watched the desert burn and felt his life was about to change.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on Pidge pronouns: Pidge uses male pronouns here because he is hiding his identity from the Garrison. He'll probably stick to male pronouns in order to continue staying hidden.
> 
> This first chapter is more like a prologue since the main story starts in chapter 2~~
> 
> Please help correct my Spanish if I'm wrong because all I can do is google it. OTL  
> Also, if you know Spanish and don't mind helping me out with a little Lance!dialogue in future (and share some Klance love together), feel free to contact me over tumblr at http://amarukei.tumblr.com/


	2. Never Piss Off A Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some description of burn injuries are in this chapter.

   
The desert was on fire.

Lance grabbed the binoculars from Pidge and watched thick smoke plumes rise from a distance. Garrison vehicles poured towards the source of the explosions.

"They have Shiro!" said Lance excitedly. Two people in hazmat suits were carrying him, and although the shock of white hair was something new, he could make out his face clearly. "They're taking him to a white tent in the middle over there."

"The heck? You can make out his face? What sort of eagle vision do you have?" asked Pidge incredulously, snatching his binoculars back from the lanky teen.

"We have to get down there while they're distracted by the fire," insisted Lance, buzzing head to toe with the knowledge that Shiro was alive. He cocked his head to the green-clad boy. "You coming?"

The bespectacled teen grabbed his pack. "Lead the way."

"Guys? It's not safe to go down there. What if—"

Not waiting for him to finish his sentence, Lance and Pidge hopped off the roof, making their way down as fast as they could. Hunk could only wring his hands and follow.

They easily sneaked into the tent Shiro was in and the first thing they saw was two Garrison staff in hazmat suits out cold on the ground. They tensed up, ready to guard against whoever was in there. Lance felt his breath hitch in his throat when the intruder turned to face them. He'd recognised the familiar mop of black hair and dark violet eyes anywhere.

"Keith!" yelled Lance. His heart was pounding and his gills almost flared out of his skin. He had missed this feeling, the jolt of exhilaration whenever he went head to head with the ace pilot of his year.

"Did you rig those explosives?" asked Pidge.

Keith pulled the scarf down his nose, letting the dark red cloth hang around his neck.

"What do you want?" he rasped. He backed away and pulled Shiro off the examination table, sliding his arm under the unconscious man's shoulder.

"We're helping him," insisted Lance. "You're not getting all the credit for this."

Keith stared at Lance. "Who the hell are you?"

Lance rolled his eyes and gaped at him. "The name's Lance? We were rivals back at the Garrison? You know, Lance and Keith, neck and neck?"

"Oh, the cargo pilot?" said Keith.

"Excuse you," snapped Lance. "I'm fighter class now thanks to you dropping out."

"Well, congrats." snarled Keith.

"If you're done reminiscing, we got to get Shiro out," said Pidge.

They barely left the tent when they saw the Garrison vehicles from a distance heading back.

"Quickly," hissed Keith. He beckoned them over to a red hoverbike. "Get on."

"Even if we do managed to squeeze onto this thing, we won't be able to go fast enough to shake them off," said Lance.

"Give me your phone," said Keith.  
  
He heaved the unconscious Shiro onto the bike, sandwiching him between Lance and Hunk. He held out his hand impatiently and glared at Lance, who handed over his phone. Keith quickly pulled up a map on the screen and typed in coordinates, bringing up a red point up marking a spot on the map. He tossed the phone back to Lance and said, "I'll meet you there later."

"What? No, you need to come with us," said Lance.

"I'm just going to get them off our tail," said Keith. He pulled his scarf back around his nose. With a moment's thought, he shrugged off his red jacket and threw it at the lanky teen. Part of his sleeves were smudged with soot and he decided he didn't want his favourite and only jacket ruined if he could help it.

"Hold onto this for me."

Lance leveled his gaze at him. "Please tell me you have a plan."

Keith looked him right in the eyes and Lance swore there was a shit-eating-and-I'm-making-you-watch-it grin hiding under the scarf.

With that, he ran off into the direction of the Garrison vehicles and disappeared into the thick smoke.

A moment later, they watched a truck go up in flames, followed by an explosion when the gas tank ignited.

It was now or never. Lance swiftly tied the red jacket around his waist and slammed his foot on the pedal, speeding towards the edge of a rocky ledge.

The hoverbike flew over it and Lance heard Hunk screaming behind him all the way down while holding tight onto Shiro and Pidge. He activated the jets to cushion their fall but when the bike bumped off the rocky ground, Lance knew he'd be feeling the bruising in his ass for ages.

They heard another explosion and Lance stopped the hoverbike to look back. He couldn't see much for the ledge except the thick smoke and sparks rising up into the sky. Pidge, perched on the tail of the bike, took out his binoculars and scanned the surrounding area while Hunk carefully supported Shiro, who shifted slightly in his arms.

Shiro groaned. "Uhh..."

"How are you feeling?" asked Hunk.

"Where...?"

"Desert. Near the Garrison," Pidge supplied. He put down his binoculars and added, "We should be clear all the way to the meet-up spot."

"Matt...?" Shiro uttered, and then realised his mistake when Pidge frowned at him. "Uh, sorry."

Pidge's mouth stretched into a thin line. "Keith gave us a location to head to, but he went back to distract the Garrison from following us."

"Keith?" asked Shiro, holding his head in pain.

"Keith Kogane. He was with us a while ago," explained Pidge.

"Where is he now?"

"Over there," he passed Shiro the binoculars to look in the direction of the fire.

Shiro observed for a moment, and he saw a ball of fire streak across the sky through the thick black smoke.

"He'll be fine. We should go."

Lance brought a hand to his eye to shield the sun and squinted at the Garrison fixtures in the distance. He saw only smoke and fire and definitely spotted no sign of Keith.

"Well, if Shiro says he's fine, we're gonna just have to trust him on this," said Lance as he stepped on the accelerator and drove the overloaded hoverbike to the location marked on Keith's map.

They made it to a rundown shack that blended in with the nearby ledges and the sand.

Keith did not return in the next hour and Pidge decided there was nothing to be done so he stayed behind while Lance and Hunk sneaked back into the Garrison to avoid suspicion.

  
It was dark by the time Keith made it back to the shack.

Pidge was quietly snoring on the far end of the bed curled up around his pack, headphones still on his ears while his glasses perched atop his head.

Shiro was awake, sitting on the edge of the dusty bed, perked up his head when he heard Keith opening the door and coming in.

"Hey," said Shiro.

Keith smelled of smoke and blood, his skin generously smudged with soot. His shirt was gone and there were angry red streaks covering his exposed arms. Sand coated his wounds from the trudge back to the shack, having taken a long way round so as not to leave a track the Garrison could follow. He limped over to the bed, dropped his knees to the floor and wrapped his arms around Shiro's waist.

"Shiro," said Keith, softly and fervantly. He called out again to make sure it wasn't a dream. "Shiro, you're back."

Shiro brought up his left arm to ruffle the younger man's hair. "Keith. I'm so sorry," he apologised.

Keith shook his head against Shiro's chest. He stayed there, refusing to move.

"You need to get off me so we can treat your burns," said Shiro, carefully pulling him to his feet.

"Ugghhh," came Pidge's sleep-choked voice. "Smells like deep fried circuits in here." He rubbed his eyes and by the light of the single bulb dangling from the ceiling, looked over to Keith.

"You're hurt," stated Pidge.

"It's fine," shrugged Keith. He picked up a bottle of water from a box next to the bed and opened it with his teeth, spitting the cap out and made his way out the shack.

"Let me help," offered Shiro, following him to the door. Keith hummed, passing him the bottle. He pulled his hair out of the way and hissed as water was trickled down his back, washing sand and blood off the worst of the burns.

"We got to put something on that," said Shiro, going back in to grab another bottle to wash the wounds with. "Do you have a med-kit?"

Keith pointed to the table. Shiro searched it, digging out a pathetic excuse for a med-kit. It was just a pouch with an empty bottle of antiseptic and half a roll of bandages.

"I don't think this counts as a med-kit," sighed Shiro. "Come on, let's just make sure we get all that sand out of your back."

Keith shrugged, still tripped on the last dredges of adrenaline enough to ignore the stabbing pain growing on his back.

Pidge fiddled with his phone and then turned back to them. "I've sent a message to Lance and Hunk to bring some supplies. They should be here in the morning."

"Thanks, uh..." said Shiro.

"Pidge Gunderson," said the petite boy, holding out his left hand in consideration for Shiro's prosthetic arm. The taller man shook it, a smile on his face.

"Takashi Shirogane," said Shiro. "Shiro will do, but you already knew that."

"Yeah. You're famous," said Pidge. He looked to Keith and was about to extend his hand in greeting when he saw Keith lick a burn on his wrist.

"Okay, I'm not gonna touch that," said Pidge. "But nice to meet you too, Keith."

Keith dipped his head in acknowledgement and got back to licking the smaller burns up his arm. Pidge stayed in the corner of the room, pulling out stuff from his backpack and fumbling through wires and equipment. Keith thought the bespectacled youth seemed easy enough to get along with.

Three bottles of water later and a change of pants, the pain finally sank in and the dark-haired boy lay on his side limply on the bed, torn between groaning in pain and cursing in pain. He decided to let out a few choice words and bite down on the groaning. Shiro sat next to him, a comfortable presence by his head.

It was almost noon the next day by the time Lance and Hunk got to the shack.

"Took you long enough," groused Pidge, his hair sticking out and eyebags hanging under his eyes. He had stayed up the rest of the night to keep a lookout while Shiro and Keith slept. Shiro roused as soon as he heard the two young men enter the shack, rolling his shoulders to work out the crick in his neck from having fallen asleep in an awkward sitting position.

"I had to sweet-talk someone from the logistics department to loan us their jeep—" "Lance, we paid her fifty," interrupted Hunk, who was quickly waved away by Lance— "and we had to circle round the entire area because that whole smokey pit back there? It's all cordoned off due to, and I quote, 'a gas tank accident'. We had to stop like, a whole kilometre from here and walk over on foot," grumbled Lance.

"It's a good thing it's the weekend," said Hunk, heaving a sack and dropping it onto the floor of the shack.

"Is it me or does this place smell like a barbeque gone wrong in here?" said Lance as he shook his leg, trying to dislodge sand from his jeans. He had Keith's jacket bundled under his arm. He had forgotten it around his waist and had worn the jacket all the way back to his dorm room. He tried his best to look casual as he dropped it into the only chair around.

"Not the time for jokes, Lance. Take out your med-kit fast and please do something about him," said Pidge, pointing to Keith.

Shiro shook the sleeping boy to wake him and Keith groaned, blearily opening his eyes. He pulled down the thin woolen blanket and the two cadets took in the sight of pale skin mottled with angry red burns.

Hunk brought a hand to his mouth in shock while Lance sucked in a breath through his teeth.

"Holy shitzaroni," said Lance. "He looks like, well, shit."

"Your range of vocabulary never ceases to astound me," said Pidge, sliding the headphones off his ears and letting it hang around his neck. "I'm no help here, so you guys do your stuff while I'm going outside to get better signal."

"Thanks a lot, Pidge," said Hunk.

"What are you thanking him for?" asked Lance. "We're doing all the work."

"He's listening in on the Garrison's comms," pointed out Hunk, ever the observant one.

"Oh," realised Lance. He quickly yelled out to Pidge. "Thanks, Pidge! Best comms officer ever!"

Pidge snorted a laugh as he stepped out the shack.

"I'm going to roll you over now," said Shiro, to which Keith grunted in reply. He gently manouvered Keith onto his stomach, exposing the full extent of his injuries.

"That—" Lance sucked in a breath. "That's like, third degree burns right there. Oh my god, how are you not dying right now?"

"Second degree," Keith corrected him.

"Third," said Lance.

"Second," said Keith once more.

Shiro fumbled as he opened the tiny latches on the med kit, his metal fingers unused to nimble work.

"Let me," offered Hunk, noticing the look of frustration that flashed across the older man's face for a second.

"Thanks," sighed Shiro.

"No problem. I'm Hunk, by the way," he shook Shiro's hand and pulled over a chair to the bedside.

Lance watched his friend's skillful hands work the burn cream into the wounds on Keith's back, whispering spells continuously under his breath. He sucked in a breath when he saw the Hunk's hands come away from the skin with streaks of red and black.

"Shouldn't we get him to a hospital?" said Hunk, voice filled with worry, looking over to Shiro. "It looks really awful."

"No hospital," groaned Keith. "I told you I'm fine."

"Wow, I didn't know you studied medicine, Doctor Kogane," said Lance.

"I didn't," Keith answered.

"You obviously also didn't attend Sarcasm 101."

"Guys, maybe you should stop arguing and do something?" suggested Hunk.

"Well, he's ruled out the hospital so all we can give him is first aid, but third degree burns are too tricky for us to handle—"

"Second," interrupted Keith. He buried his head into the flat, lumpy pillow and muttered another string of curses as Hunk continued to slather the cream over his skin.

Shiro sat down next to Keith's pillow and ran his hand through the younger man's hair tenderly, going through the soothing motion until Keith's cursing died down.

"Don't worry, Hunk," Shiro reassured. "If he's energetic enough to bicker, he'll be fine."

"So are you two, uhh...?" asked Lance.

"Are we what?"

"Close?"

The older man absently scratched his cheek. "I think so?"

"Seriously. I leave you guys for one minute," came Pidge's exasperated voice from the door left ajar. "Shiro, Lance is asking if you're boyfriends with Keith."

Lance panicked, his voice on the verge of cracking as he said, "No! Uh, yes! I mean, it's just a question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Shut up," Keith muttered into his pillow.

"I'm done," said Hunk. He pulled out a pack of paper towels from the supplies and wiped the cream and blood off his hands.

"So?" Pidge said, a grin hanging off his lips as he raised a brow at Shiro.

Shiro chuckled and he might just have winked at Pidge. He slid an arm under Keith's shoulder and said, "Sit up, _baby brother_. Time to get you mummified."

Hunk and Pidge watched surprise and embarrassment cycle through Lance's expressive face and found themselves very amused.

"You're brothers," said the lanky teen. "I mean, I can see the resemblence now. Or not. You don't look alike at all. You don't even have the same last names. But, okay, right. Cool."

"You're fun to watch, Lance," chirped Pidge.

"Shush, you overgrown green chickadee-mouse thing."

"Your insults are cute too," teased Pidge. He leaned against the doorway, one side of his headphones resting against his ear, listening in while half his attention turned back to the people in the shack. "Hey, just to make things clear, are the two of you available? For dating purposes?"

"Pidge!" whined Lance, feeling his ears burn.

"I'm doing you a favour as your comms officer," said Pidge. "I'm helping you _communicate_  since you so obviously suck at it."

Shiro held his hands up. "No offence, but you're not exactly my type, Lance."

"That's one down, one to go," came Pidge's commentary.

"I'm not interested," said Keith flatly. "I don't have time for a relationship."

"Sorry, Lance," chirped Pidge. "Better luck next time."

Lance threw his hands up in the air and huffed. "Well, I'm not looking for a relationship either!"

"So," Shiro cleared his throat. "How did you all know each other?"

Hunk caught on that an introduction was way overdue and quickly filled him in.

"Oh, right. Umm. We're second year cadets at the Garrison. Lance and I know each other from way back and we met Pidge at the beginning of the term when he was assigned on our team. We were at the roof last night when we saw that huge fire, then Lance caught sight of you and we went down and found you in the quarantine tent," explained Hunk.

"You're like, my idol," blurted Lance, still nervous as hell. "I mean, I respected your work. A lot. Still do. So uh, when I saw you, I knew I had to go help you."

"Thank you, Lance," smiled Shiro. Lance felt his respect for the man shoot up another fifty points. Calm and composed even when he obviously lost an arm, was reported dead, and was almost captured by the Garrison.

"Uh, how did your arm...?" Lance clapped a hand over his mouth when he saw Shiro frowning and realised he probably shouldn't have asked that.

Shiro shook his head. "Honestly? I don't remember. Everything's a bit of a blur right now. All I can recall is escaping from some sort of facility and somehow ended up here."

"Guys," Pidge spoke up and everyone turned their attention to him. "The Garrison is still out looking for Shiro, but they don't know where he is. They didn't ID anyone yet, so we can assume they don't know about our involvement. I think our best course of action is to go back to the dorms while Keith and Shiro find a better place to hide."

"It's not that bad," Lance couldn't resist. "But I'm sure you could find better property elsewhere, you know? Someplace with less sand. I recommend the beach."

Hunk suppressed a chuckle, but the joke seemed completely lost on Keith, who responded with a "I'm staying here".

"Granted, there are outcrops blocking the view of anyone sweeping this area, but it's too near the Garrison," said Pidge. "Who's to say they won't hold a more thorough search after this incident?"

"I'm staying," Keith repeated. He stubbornly pushed himself off the bed, fresh bandages beginning to stain, and limped over to the table, leaning over and pulling off a cloth covering the wall to reveal a—

"Woah!" said Lance. "A conspiracy board! Is this for real?"

"Are you always this annoying?" hissed Keith. He could feel his bandages chafing against his raw skin and wasn't in the mood to put up with people putting down his work.

Pidge stepped closer, pouring over the news cuttings and Garrison reports of the Kerberos mission and handwritten notes. He curled his lips in disgust as he glanced at an article titled " _Kerberos Tragedy: Pilot Error Or Murder_?"

There were many articles like this that painted unfavourable pictures of the crew, all for the sake of attention. Pidge suspected the wild speculations provided a perfect cover for the Garrison's lack of concrete answers for the mission failure.

The article went on to speculate on Shiro being mentally unfit for the mission due having witnessed his parents' death. The word " _death_ " was circled in red, and a pinned red string there led to a small handwritten note " _Covered up by Garrison_ ". He raised a brow when he saw the note had a thick bundle of red strings practically nailed into it linking to almost every other article.

Pidge tugged at the red strings and followed a few of them and saw they led to articles of older incidents, including a prominent terrorist attack that wiped out Altea ten years ago.

"Some of this is pretty out there, man," commented Lance. He jabbed a finger at the tiny article at the bottom of the board that read, " _Giant Squid Aliens Hijacks Kerberos Shuttle!!_ " and raised a brow at Keith, judging him for even putting this article up on the board.

"There's some...energy that feels really different. I can, uh, feel it calling out to me," gestured Keith, unable to find better words to articulate himself. He pointed at the many sketches of the desert pinned on the board. "I mapped out the area where I feel it most."

Lance rubbed his collar. The light buzzing under his skin from being so near to Keith had almost been forgotten. He didn't feel anything other than this, though, so he looked over to the energy-sensing-expert and asked. "What do you think, Hunk?"

"Actually," said Hunk. "I noticed there's quite a lot of energy in this whole area. it's really hard to pinpoint, though. Maybe I can put together a geiger counter for that."

"I have some readings of the energy vibrations," said Pidge. "I agree with Keith that the Garrison is definitely hiding something, so I hacked into their files. They're searching for something in this area too, some artifact or ancient technology, so I had the area scoped out over the past month." He took out a tablet and flicked at it, scrolling through displays of graphs and readings. "If I organise them by signal levels—" he tapped at the screen—"this area right here has higher levels of energy compared to the surroundings. It's still a pretty large area so it'll take ages to search."

Keith watched as Pidge showed him the graph, and suddenly grabbed it from Pidge when he saw something familiar.

"Argh, first Lance and now you. What's with you guys grabbing people's stuff!"

"Sorry, Pidge," said Hunk.

"Not your fault, Hunk, but I appreciate it," sighed Pidge. He leaned over and watched as Keith compared the readings with the landscape outlines on the wall and saw they got a match.

"I know where that is," said Keith. He reached for the drawing but Shiro reached over him and pulled it off the wall first. He folded it and tucked it into his shirt.

"Not now," said Shiro.

Keith sulked.

"Tomorrow?" suggested Shiro.

"Deal."

Shiro turned to the rest. "You heard him. We'll be checking out the location tomorrow. I don't think you three should come, but it's up to you."

"I'm definitely coming," said Pidge. "The Garrison's hiding something and I'm going to find out what."

"It'll be risky if they find out. You don't have to put yourself in danger—"

"I'm doing this for my own reasons," interjected Pidge. Lance could see a dark rage simmering in those hazel eyes behind his glasses.

There was a moment of silence, and Shiro spoke up.

"We'll find them," he promised. "We'll get them back."

The hard look in the smaller boy's eyes softened, and a tired smile hung on his lips.

"Yeah, we will."

  
The trio trudged back to where Lance had parked the jeep. Hunk offered to help Pidge carry some of his stuff, and Pidge was grateful for the help. He was feeling strung up from Shiro's reappearance, and thoughts of his father and brother wouldn't stop flooding in.

"Hey, Pidge?" said Hunk, sitting next to Lance who was driving them back to the Garrison. "What did you and Shiro talk about back there?"

The sandy-haired boy's tired shoulders drooped and rested his chin on the backpack that sat on his lap. The rest of the equipment took up the rest of the space in the back.

"Someone I know was on the Kerberos mission with Shiro," he said.

"Oh. Sorry, man," said Hunk.

"Shiro made it out," said Lance. "Maybe they made it too."

"Yeah, I'm counting on it," said Pidge grimly.

"We'll help find them," offered Hunk.

"I've only known you guys for a while," said Pidge. "I don't know whether you're brave or plain stupid."

"Rude," said Lance.

"But I appreciate it, really."

Lance threw Pidge a thumbs up over his shoulder.  
  


* * *

  
The next day found them in a cave covered in blue and white markings. Sunlight filtered into a good part of the cave but as they ventured deeper, they found themselves in complete darkness. Hunk and Pidge held torches that barely illuminated the spacious cave.

Hunk's geiger counter proved that this cave did indeed show a higher concentration of energy. He held it, glad he had the foresight to put a light in it so he could see it in the darkness.

"Dead end," said Pidge after running the torch over all the surfaces around them. "Dead end, and look, another dead end."

"According to the readings, we are getting closer to the energy source," said Hunk.

"I've checked this whole place out before," said Keith. "There's nothing in here."

 _Right, but you don't have my eyes,_  Lance thought as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and everything looked clear as day.

He caught a glimmer off a part of the far wall behind a boulder and went over to it, reaching for the wall and finding that there wasn't one.

"Hey," said Lance. "I found something."

He squinted his eyes and could see what lay behind the illusion of a wall.

Once he knew their eyes were all on him, he threw them a wide grin and walked confidently right through the wall.

"Woah," said Hunk, waving his hand through the wall. "That's amazing!"

"The wall's glamour tech," said Pidge breathlessly as he peered over to Hunk's geiger counter to check the readings. "I'm actually kind of impressed you spotted that."

"What can I say?" said Lance, puffing his chest out. "I'm a man of many talents."

"I've never seen anything like this before. It looks so real," said Hunk, equally impressed.

"Imagine the cloaking devices we can make with this magic technology or whatever it is," whispered Pidge as they walked through the wall.

No one replied to that comment. They were busy looking at a long path that dimly lit by a row of lights embedded in the ground leading up to an entrance of a building of some sort.

"Maybe we should turn back, get more equipment and come back again?" suggested Hunk.

"I say we go ahead," said Lance, a new rush of excitement shooting up his gills that gave him the urge to trill.

"Keep your guard up, amateur," growled Keith. "There could be traps in there."

"Pssshh, the only trap around here that needs to be deactivated is yours," said Lance.

"Guys, please," said Shiro sternly.

"You're the ranking officer here, Shiro. What do you say we do?" asked Lance.

"We'll go in and take a look," said Shiro. "If it doesn't look safe, we'll leave."

"Okay," said Lance at the same time Keith gave a curt, "Fine."

Lance rolled his eyes at Keith, wondering how this ex-cadet, no older than himself, could be so arrogant and rude even to Shiro. Nevermind they were brothers. Shiro shouldn't have to put up with his bratty attitude. He mentally gave Shiro another ten points while docking fifty from Keith.

  
They walked up a ramp into what looked like a giant dome-tower, and as they reached a wide stairway leading up, there were a rumbling and two white stone lions behind them began to move.

"Sentinels," whispered Pidge. "They're magically-infused statues with AI."

The stone lions stepped out of the alcoves, their paws thud loudly against the solid ground

"Get to the top of the stairs. Go!" said Shiro. He pulled up the back as they scrambled up the stairs and through a hallway. The lions were fast, and caught up to them in a leap.

Shiro ran ahead of them towards the lions, his arm glowing purple.

"Shiro!" yelled Keith.

"Stay back! I got this," shouted Shiro as he ran, his arm glowing a sinister purple. His expression hardened and his eyes turned yellow, patches of purple fur spreading up the left side of his neck. He aimed and leapt and with his metal arm as a shield, he bodily slammed himself into one of the sentinels, knocking it off balance to tumble into the other one. Precious seconds were earned.

"Over here!" shouted Lance as he waved for them to get through a door he found. Pidge and Hunk scrambled through the door while Lance kept his hand pressed on some sort of panel to keep it open.

Shiro gasped he felt phantom pain shoot up his arm. His head was throbbing again, images of purple claws and fangs coming into his mind.

The lions righted themselves and were carefully gauging the intruders. Keith skirted round to the other side and threw a piece of debris at the sentinels, and they turn their gazes to him.

"Hurry up, Shiro!" yelled Lance.

Shiro snapped out of his stupor and ran towards the door, and the lions turned their attention back to him. Keith broke into a run as well. The moment Shiro reached the door, Lance let go of the panel and pulled Shiro in. The door started to slide shut, and Keith dived in, the others grabbing his jacket and reeling him in, and not a second later they heard and felt stone slam into the closed door.

They quickly scrambled away from the door.

A few more thuds, and they heard the thundering of the lions' footsteps move away.

"I think they attack on sight," whispered Pidge. Lance stretched out a hand and Pidge took it, letting the tall boy pulled him up.

"Yeah," agreed Keith, breathing hard. He winced and struggled to get up. Hunk quickly wrapped an arm under his shoulder and heaved him upright.

Once standing, he quickly pulled away. Hunk let go immediately.

"Um, thanks."

"No problem."

"You okay?" asked Shiro.

"Yeah. You?"

"Still alive," said Shiro, giving him a grin. Keith grinned back and gave Shiro a light smack in the arm.

There were faded signs of battle on the walls of the hallway behind the large door. Carvings and reliefs decorated some of the walls and Pidge held up his tablet to take records and compared them with his notes. He squinted at the script under a particularly large relief of a dragon and concluded, "It's Altean."

"Wow," said Lance. "Is this part of the Altea Sanctuary?"

"The location is wrong, and this place looks older than that," said Shiro, examining a carved pillar. "Alteans have a long history stretching back ten thousand years, if the records are to be believed. Altea Sanctuary as we know it was a more recent development, established by King Alfor Altea as a city for endangered Myths and refugees to reside in. They had advanced technology sought after by many."

"The city was wiped out in the massive terrorist attack ten years ago," said Pidge. "According to the reports, the Garrison came to their aid far too late and not a single Altean survived."

Lance ran his hand over the reliefs. "I remember the old stories my grandmother told me where the original Alteans were dragons and heralded as the kings and queens by the people. That probably explains the heavy touch of dragon decor in this place."

Hunk put a finger to his lips and mulled. "This place looks old, but the fake wall and the sentinels? That's advanced. Tech itself can't do that unless powerful Myths are involved."

"I've heard rumours among the Garrison staff some years back," said Keith, "that Alteans harboured dangerous Myths and used them as weapons."

"I heard about that too," affirmed Shiro. "For such a small city, they had a strong military force almost rivalling that of the Garrison's."

They found a large room, surrounded by walls and glass. In the centre of the room were controls that resembled airship controls. Pods lined one side of the wall, most of them empty or damaged.

Lance went up to the pods and peered in, then waved for the others to come over.

"There are people in there!" he exclaimed. "We gotta get them out.'

Pidge examined the controls on the pods and poked at it. A hiss, a click, and two of the pods slowly open.

A woman fell out, silver hair around her, and Lance reached out to catch her.

"Father! No—" She blinked and looked around. "Where am I?"

Lance stared the tall, beautiful young woman in his arms. The fabric of her dress felt so soft, and there was a faint smell of rain on her that he loved. Her touch was electric, sending a numbing shiver through his arms. She was beautiful in an unearthly sense. He knew he had to say something quick.

"Looks like you fell right into my arms," said Lance, giving his best smile.

The woman stared at him for a moment, and then twisted him around, wrenching his arms behind him and making him yelp in pain.

"Argh! Sorry!" cried Lance.

Upon hearing his sound of distress, she let go of him in shock and staggered back. "What...happened? Who are you?"

Shiro took a step in front, herding Lance behind him. Keith took his flank.

"Ma'am," offered Shiro. "I assure you we mean no harm. We were exploring a cave when we found this place."

An orange-haired man with a bushy mustache came out of a pod too and in a moment, jumped in front of the young woman and got into a defensive stance.

"Stay away from the princess, you lot!" said the man with a bushy ginger moustache.

"Princess?"

"She is Princess Allura of Altea," stated the man.

"You reek of Galra," said the white-haired woman, her eyes travelling down to Shiro's prosthetic.

"I was captured by the Galra," said Shiro. Some of his memories had came back when his arm activated during the fight with the sentinel lions. "They took my arm and replaced it with their technology."

"How do I know you're not an enemy spy?" hissed Allura.

Shiro held his arms up placatingly. "Perhaps we could sit down and talk this out?"

"If you're not with the Galra, prove it," said the pale-haired woman. The orange-haired man maintained his defensive posture, his face stern.

"I'm a Sphinx. Sphinxes don't take sides," said Pidge. "And I believe in Shiro."

"What? You're a Sphinx?" Lance whipped his head around so fast he almost hurt his neck. "But how?"

"I don't feel a trace of residue energy from you. How do you do that?" asked Hunk, equally confused.

Pidge shrugged and pressed an orange button on a device embedded in the collar of his shirt. There was a light buzz, and as if something lifted, Hunk could feel a cloud of energy overflowing in the room.

"Woah," said Hunk.

"Woah," echoed Lance.

"It's something like frequency cancellation," explained Pidge. "I calibrated it and attuned it to my energy signals so it is virtually undetectable by anyone else."

Hunk looked totally enamoured, staring at the device on Pidge's shirt. Pidge grinned. "I'll show you how it works later." Hunk nodded enthusiastically.

After Pidge's revelation, the princess looked calmer.

"You are a strange group," said Allura, "You have a Galra's arm, yet you are allied with a Sphinx, and you," she pointed to Hunk. "You feel human but..."

"Witch," said Hunk, and elaborated, "Earth-Witch."

A look of fondness flitted over Allura face, as if recalling a good memory. "Witches are an honest, trustworthy people."

She turned to Lance. "And you—"

"Are extremely handsome and charming, I know. Also, your pointy ears are pretty, have I mentioned that?" Lance smirked. Hunk, as amazing as he was, wasn't going to one-up him when it came to leaving memorable first impressions.

"Well, your round ones are hideous," Allura rolled her eyes and turned away from him to Keith.

There was almost a hint of pity as she looked over him. Her tone took a softer edge as she spoke, "You have a strong fire burning within. I pray it does not consume you."

Keith narrowed his eyes and looked away. He didn't want to be part of this. Allura did not press further and turned to the rest.

"The Galra would never ally themselves with anyone other than their own kind, that much I am sure of. You have proven yourselves to be not their allies. We can speak later. Where are the others?"

"Others?" asked Shiro.

"Alteans," said Allura. "We were in the middle of a battle with the Galra who invaded the Sanctuary, and my father put me in the pod and steered the ship away from the fight...where is he?"

"We didn't see anyone else here except you," said Shiro. "If you're talking about Altea Sanctuary being attacked, that happened years ago."

"What? Blessed Altea! How long were we in the pods?" Allura said, as if realising something was really wrong.

The moustached man went to the controls and typed in some commands, looking at the display that scrolled up before them.

"Ten years," he said, his voice shaky and breathless. "We were asleep for ten years, Princess."

There was a long moment of silence between them as Allura looked to the screen and looked at the display of the date and records. There was a message at the bottom of the screen in Altean script. Allura read it, and tears fell from her eyes.

When she turned back to face them, her eyes were wet but her lips were drawn tight with fierce determination.

"I believe proper introductions are overdue," said Allura, standing regal and tall. "I am Princess Allura of Altea, and this is my advisor, Coran."

"Pleased to meet you," said the man.

"King Alfor has left a message for us. Our people are gone, but as long as one of us lives, we will stop the Galra and protect the legacy of Voltron." Allura took a deep breath. Her voice trembled slightly but she pushed on, and spoke with a strength needed to carry the weight of a burden set upon her shoulders.

"We are the last of our kind and I believe fate has crossed my path with yours. I would ask of you to help us fight the Galra so that no one else will suffer the fate of my people."

"Who...what are your kind?" asked Shiro.   
  
"We are Alteans," replied Allura grimly. Her clothing shimmered and dissolved as her form grew, shifting into a creature larger than any Myth they knew of. She had a slender, reptilian snout and her eyes were without whites, filled up with sky-blue glass. A smattering of pink scales nested among the white, pearl-dusted ones and blushed her neck and cheeks. A column of blue and gold-tinged tapered spines lay flat along her back. She spread her wings, the leathery skin reflecting a prism of colours the same way her scales did. Her wingspan, fully stretched, was wide enough to encompass all the people in the room.

Fully Manifested, she was a majestic sight. As she tilted her head back to give a thunderous roar, the very ground shook beneath them. The lights in the room brightened, and the controls whirred and electricity buzzed around them.

It was as if she roared the whole place to life.

Her gaze turned to them, and as they met her eyes, Allura's sonorous voice was in their heads, affirming what they were seeing before them.

_  
We are Dragons._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMGGG I never expected this fic to get this many kudos just from the first chapter. The story is just starting and I hope it lives up to the readers' expectations! m(^_^;)m
> 
> I'm really, really grateful for all the kudos and comments and it's really helping to fuel this fic too. I'm writing much faster than usual thanks to having more free time at the beginning of the year, but I'm feeling impatient because I can't wait to see some Klance happening (sorry they're still at the bickering stage)
> 
> Lunar New Year holidays are round the corner and I'm looking forward to spending it all on writing this fic! XD


	3. Between Rocks And Hard Places

   
"Allura, there's something headed our way," said Coran. "Obtaining visuals...there!"

The white dragon turned to look at the large display, and she saw the images of small planes flying across the desert.

"Those are Garrison planes," said Hunk. "Maybe they sensed the energy of this place?"

Coran stroked his moustache and pondered, "Now that the castle is up and running, it is likely they have picked up the energy from this place.

Pidge quickly dug out the radio kit from his backpack, turning it on and pressed one side of his headphones to his ear.

 _Coran, throw up the castle's cloaking,_  Allura mind-spoke to them.

"Aye, Princess. Powering up cloaking shield—" The large crystal hanging high above them gave a crackling sound and Coran frantically tapped at the panel. "Quiznak! The crystal is badly damaged and is barely functioning."

 _Then I'll power the castle for now,_  spoke Allura.

"You can't hold it up for long. We need to get a fresh crystal soon."

 _I'll get the ship out and put us on a course to Balmera,_  said Allura. Her scales glimmered and glowed softly as she reached up, full height, and her energy thrummed and resonated with the cracked crystal just above her head.

"I'll go out and distract them if they come close," offered Keith. "My hoverbike parked just outside the cave. I can catch up to you later."

"Keith, don't," said Shiro, reaching out to grip his shoulder. "You're still injured."

"I'll go. I can probably send an energy signal strong enough to distract them," said Pidge. "Lance, you come with me."

"What?" yelped Lance. "Why are you volunteering me!"

"Shiro and Keith are both injured, but okay. Shiro, you're up," said Pidge. Shiro rolled his shoulder. The impact he took from bodily slamming into stone-hard lions bruised him up, but he was fine to go.

"Way to guilt-trip me, Pidge!" Lance threw his hands in the air and quickly got into Shiro's way.

 _Nobody needs to leave,_  came Allura's firm voice. _Even if they spot us, they won't be able to track us._  She closed her eyes and focused, wings slightly outstretched as she gave the ship the power to move.

"Get seated, lads," said Coran, pointing to the seats in the control room while he took control of the panels in front of the projected screen. "It might be a bit bumpy."

The room shook, and the large screen in front of them displayed visuals of the surroundings outside, which was cave, cave, and cave.

"Wow, so we're in a ship? Which part of this castle-like place is the ship?" asked Lance as he settled into a seat, seeing no seatbelt and figured it wasn't needed.

The turbulence began, and the whole place was shaking and rumbling, and with the sound of large rocks easily breaking and crumbling around them, Lance watched as they broke free of the dark confines of the underground caverns and into the bright daylight, out of the sand. He saw the structure of the ship as a display on the corner of the screen come up, places lighting up showing them the damage and function of the ship.

"It's the castle," gasped Lance. "The whole freakin' castle is a ship."

"Yes! This is the very Castle-ship that stood at the centre of Altea Sanctuary," said Coran proudly.

The massive ship made its way over the sand, unable to go fast from the power channeling through a faulty crystal.

"They're not following," said Pidge as he looked at the display. "I don't hear them giving any instructions over the comms. My guess is they were far enough not to spot us leaving."

 _Good,_  mindspoke Allura. _We should reach Balmera in an hour or so._

After a while, Pidge let go of his headphones now they were out of range of the Garrison's transmissions. He yawned, drowsy after nights of little sleep.

"Maybe you could, like, drop us off and let us head back first?" suggested Hunk. "I mean, we need to go back to the Garrison before they find out we're missing."

"We're in a giant airship! With dragons! Quit the worrying and enjoy the ride, my friend," grinned Lance, his hands gripping the edge of the seat as he watched the screen and took in all the information of the ship as well as he could.

The novelty of being in a seat and staring at the screen projecting the scenery soon wore off. Lance wanted to stretch his legs and explore. It wasn't as fun if he wasn't the one piloting after all. He fidgeted and looked around.

Shiro in front looked pretty tired and simply slumped back in his chair, probably taking a nap. Pidge was out cold, half-curled up in the large chair hugging his radio equipment and muttering equations in his sleep. Out of curiosity, he looked across the room to Keith, whose arms were folded with a constipated look on his face.

Coran checked on them after the ship was on course and seeing Lance's restlessness, he suggested, "There's a toilet next to the lounge a few doors down the hallway."

"Thanks, Coran," said Hunk, leaving his seat. He was about to check in with Lance but saw Keith's discomfort and went to him. "How are you doing, Keith?"

Keith blinked, and looked up at Hunk.

"You don't look too good," said Hunk, noticing he looked even paler than usual. "How are your wounds?"

 _Oh right, he's still hurt,_ Lance realised.

Keith sleepily unfolded his arms and pulled up the edge of his shirt to check. The bandages were stained and he could use a change. Hunk noticed it too and hurried back to his seat where his backpack was and grabbed out some med-supplies.

"I'll help you change your bandages," offered Hunk. His hand came up to touch Keith's arm, offering to support him.

He jolted at the touch and reflexively swatted off Hunk's hand.

"Don't touch me," he snapped.

"Hey, no need to be rude! He was just trying to help," said Lance.

Keith drew back, stuttered a quick apology to Hunk and hastily headed out into the hallway.

"What the heck was up with his attitude?" huffed Lance.

"It's fine," said Hunk. "Maybe he was just surprised."

"You're too good for him, man," pouted Lance.  
  


* * *

  
When they landed, the screen showed that all around them was barren rocky desert with sparse vegetation not unlike the one they left two hours ago. Coran explained to them that Balmera was deep underground, not accessible by normal means.

Allura was exhausted and had receded into human form. The power faded out but there was enough residue to keep some lights and external cameras running. It was getting dark so Coran suggested they rest for the night while he stayed up to keep watch.

"Thanks, Coran. I can take over later if you need to rest," volunteered Shiro.

"Ten years worth of sleep is more than enough to last a while, don't you think?" said the older man, a touch of regret in his usual jovial tone.

Shiro gave him a tired smile. Lance and Hunk were chewing on energy bars while Pidge was unconscious in his seat and no one had the heart to wake someone who was halfway through solving the universe's mysteries in his sleep.

"Where's Keith?" asked Shiro when he spotted his brother missing.

"I think he's at the lounge," Hunk finished his bar and grabbed a few more, giving one to Shiro.

"I'm coming with you," said Lance, dusting crumbs off his jacket. "I wanna see if there's a comfy couch to sleep on."

The dimly-lit lounge had two plain-looking sofas in the middle of the room.

"He's not here?" asked Hunk, seeing no one on the furniture.

"He is," said Lance, his eyes picking out a figure tucked in the shadowed corner all the way at the back of the large room, head resting on hugged knees.

"I knew he was probably some emo kid but what the hell," muttered Lance. He plopped down on the sofa and was pleasantly surprised to find it soft and comfortable. "Keith can sleep on the floor if he wants. This couch is mine."

"Keith?" said Shiro, crouching down next to him, his voice soft but firm. "Hey, wake up."

The dark-haired teen lifted his head and glared, but the moment he saw it was Shiro, he tucked his face back into his knees and groaned. "Five more minutes..."

"We'll be staying here for the night. You should sleep on the couch," nudged Shiro.

Keith stubbornly shook his head.

"All right, then," said Shiro, getting back to his feet. "I'll find you a blanket."

"I found some in the bathroom closet," said Hunk, a bundle of large white towels in his arms. "Well, they're probably towels but it should work."

"They're big, soft and fluffy so it's cool," said Lance. "How's the bathroom next door?"

"It's not much, but it's clean. There's running water in there but I don't know where it comes from."

"Great," said Lance, hopping off the sofa to head to the bathroom. "Clogged pores versus strange Altean water? I'll take 'strange Altean water' any day."

  
He came back a while later, rubbing at his wet hair with a small towel hung around his neck. He raised his brows when he saw that Keith was lying down instead of sleeping in that neck-cramping sitting position. Shiro was sleeping next to him a respectable arm's length away, as if shielding him from the open space.

"They're pretty close, huh," Lance commented.

"Well, they did just reunite after a whole year," commented Hunk as he spread out a towel-blanket, getting ready to sleep on one of the two sofas. As if noticing something in Lance's voice, he added, "I'd totally hug you to sleep if you went missing on me for a year, buddy."

"Me too, bro," Lance cocked his head at him and grinned. He climbed onto the sofa and closed his eyes, trying to get the image of an almost vulnerable-looking Keith curled up in a blanket out of his mind.  
  


* * *

  
That night, Lance dreamt of piloting a plane, flying alongside winged lions and dragons, chasing after a playful crimson bird taunting him to catch up.  
  


* * *

  
The sound of talking woke him and he stirred. Under the dim lights in the lounge, he saw Hunk still sleeping on the couch across his. He rubbed his eyes and they lazily adjusted to his surroundings. He saw Shiro and Keith sitting and talking in the corner. He thought they sounded a bit angry.

 _The angry bit was all Keith,_  he corrected himself.

Said angry guy got up and stormed out of the room with Shiro following right behind. Lance sat up, wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and followed them, curiosity getting the better of him.

The two continued their argument right outside the hallway. Lance took a step back behind the door and it was not hard to listen as they raised their voices.

Keith snapped, "I can't sit around and trust those Garrison cadets to do the job."

"Those cadets _saved_  us," said Shiro. "I know you don't like the Garrison, but I can tell they are good people. You should give them a chance."

"You can't trust anyone from the Garrison."

"Our parents—"

"Are gone," interrupted Keith. "Don't. Don't talk about them."

"All right," Shiro relented. "Even if you don't trust them, you can't just rush off on your own. Back there at the desert maybe you didn't have a choice, I get that. But yesterday? Offering to distract the Garrison away from the ship without a plan? You're too rash, Keith."

"I was trying to help!" said Keith. "Besides, you know I can do it. I'm fast. I can outrun them. Outfly them if I have to."

"Or you could get caught," said Shiro grimly. "If the Garrison finds out what you are, or worse, the Galra..."

"They'll never catch me alive," snarled Keith.

"No, Keith. You need to stop. Promise me you won't do anything rash. Not without letting me help you. Please."

The younger man bit his lip, letting what he wanted to say slide. Shiro knew, and didn't push it. He sighed, resting a hand on the younger man's shoulder, and recited a mantra he followed all these years.

"Patience yields focus, little brother."

Keith wasn't listening. He walked off, his shoulders stiff and back tight with frustration.

"Hey Shiro, you okay?" asked Lance as he made his way down the hall.

"You heard us?" asked Shiro.

"Just a little," he shrugged.

"Keith's a good kid, I swear," said Shiro, running a weary hand through his whitened hair. "Just a little hot-headed."

"Okay," said Lance. He figured Shiro didn't need someone to disagree with him after the crap he got from his own brother.

The day began slowly, with Hunk handing out energy bars to the sleepy crew in the control room while Coran explained what they had to do.

"We'll pilot a transport down to the Balmera caves, get a crystal and come right back. The Balmerans are a friendly people who have good ties with the Alteans. I'll just talk to them and we ought to be back in a jiffy! Since a battleship-class crystal is going to be quite large, I could use some strong arms..." He looked over them and settled his eyes on Hunk.

"You look sturdy," assessed Coran. "How about it?"

"Me?" said Hunk. "Uhh...sure, I guess?"

"I'll come along too if you're scared," teased Lance.

"I'll be fine!" said Hunk.

"I'm sure we'll be just fine!" said Coran, confidently twirling his moustache.  
  


* * *

   
They were _not_  fine.

Coran piloted a pod to the depths of the Balmera mines and the moment they landed, robot sentries attacked and forced them down a tunnel. The pod was a little too large for the tunnel, and it collapsed behind them as they managed to squeeze the pod through into a larger cavernous one.

"Galra!" gasped Coran. "They have taken over Balmera!"

Hunk pulled out a small walkie-talkie, courtesy of Pidge, from his pouch and put it close to his lips, "Guys, we have a problem. Seems like the Galra are here."

"We need the crystal if we are to have any chance of taking the Galra on," came Allura's voice through the walkie-talkie. "Can you do it, Coran?"

"We'll certainly do our best," said Coran.

"Wait," said Hunk, putting down his walkie-talkie and pointing to a grey figure coming out from one of the smaller tunnels in the caves. "Someone's coming."

The grey being approached them cautiously, and Hunk could feel them resonating with the rocks around him. They shuffled into the room, tall and made of stone, their eyes wide and golden.

"You are not Galra," came their voice, soft and timid. "Who are you and why are you here?"

Coran stepped forward. "I'm Altean and we're here to find a battleship-class crystal for our ship," he explained. "Alteans are long allies of the Balmerans—" he paused for a moment, trying to find the words, and continued—"I'm sorry we didn't come to your aid when the Galra attacked."

The golem shook their head. "I thought the Alteans were all gone."

"Almost all," said Coran, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm Hunk," he said, wondering if he should hold out a hand. They seemed friendly.

"I'm Shay," the Balmeran was slightly shy as they held out a hand for him to shake.

"You're human," they noticed as they touched.

"Uh, yes, human. I'm a normal human," said Hunk, feeling a grounding warmth in Shay's hand.

Hunk could sense other Balmerans standing in the shadow of the tunnel behind them, but Shay was the only one who came out.

"These ones will only bring us trouble, sister," came the lower voice behind in the tunnel.

"This one is Rax, my brother," she introduced as one of the other golems stepped into the brighter room.

"You'll get us all into trouble," said Rax.

"They are Alteans," said Shay. "If there's anyone out there who stands a chance against the Galra, it's these ones."

"They're not here to help us," said Rax. "The rest of us are afraid, sister. If the Galra finds out we are helping these ones, they will not be lenient."

"I will take responsibility for these ones, brother," said Shay.

"We'll come back to help after we get the Castle powered up, won't we, Coran?" pleaded Hunk.

"Yes, certainly," he promised.

"Come with me," said the Balmeran. "I will take you to the crystal. There is one to be shipped out soon."

"You'll regret this, sister. We all will," said Rax as he retreated back into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Thank you, Shay," said Hunk.  
  


* * *

  
When Hunk came back to the ship with the crystal, he was close to tears. He kept quiet until he and Coran fixed the crystal back in the control room with the white dragon's help.

Once the castle was powered up, Hunk had but one request.

"We have to go back and save the Balmerans," said Hunk, a fierce determination in his voice. "Shay let herself be captured to get us that crystal so that we would have a chance to defeat the Galra. We can't leave them behind."

"We will save her, Hunk," assured Allura, turning back to human form and bringing up the central control panels. "We must form a plan." She pulled out a projection in front of her and the rest of them gathered round.

"From the layout of the underground caves with the information provided by Shay, the Galra sentries mostly gather at the entrances and don't wander too far into the deeper parts of the mines. First, we'll get the Castle in range to take out the Galra sentry forts on the surface, then send out two fighter pods to lay some covering fire while Hunk and Shiro get into the caves in another and locate the Balmerans," said Allura.

"Lance, Keith, can I count on you two to pilot those pods?" said Shiro.

"Of course! They call me _'The Tailor'_   back at the Garrison," grinned Lance. Pidge and Hunk rolled their eyes at him. "You know, because of how I _thread_  the needle?" He shot them with finger-guns and they groaned loudly.

Keith folded his arms. "I don't know about him," he jerked his chin in Lance's direction, "but you can count on me to keep you covered."

"You're gonna be eating my dust once we're out there," retorted Lance.

"Oh yeah?"

Allura cleared her throat, and they turned their attention back to her.

"We need shields and cloaking to be up as well as a signal-jammer to stop the Galra from calling for reinforcements. Coran?"

"I haven't figured out your shields yet, so how about Coran work on getting those online while I work on your Galra signal-jammer?" said Pidge. "Two heads should be faster than one."

"I think that's a great idea, Pidge," said Coran.

Allura nodded. "Coran and I will standby at the Castle-ship and keep an eye for Galra. Once Hunk and Shiro have secured the Balmerans, contact the Castle immediately. From there we will decide whether or not evacuation of the Balmerans is necessary."

"Understood," said Shiro.

"It'll take another hour for the castle to ready the pods for flight. Coran, get them some weapons and armour in the meantime."

"On it, Princess," saluted Coran.

He took them a storage room filled with shelves and crates.

"Woah," said Lance as he prodded a large, dusty axe hanging on the wall and then toed a crate of cables at his feet. He pulled out the retractable shelves and looked at their contents, and settled on a shelf of what looked like guns. "Are these...blasters?"

"Ah, you have a sharp eye," said Coran. "Those were the most popular models of handheld blasters during my time. Steady and easy to handle even for an Altean child, you could shoot a bottlecap from a hundred metres away with a good eye."

"Altean children use these things?" Lance gaped at Coran.

"The blasting power isn't much to speak of but it makes up for it with its lightness in weight," Coran added.

"Hmm," said Lance, and he held the blaster, getting a feel of how his hands wrapped around it. He aimed for a far off spot in the wall and pulled the trigger, and jumped when it actually fired.

"Watch it!" yelled Keith as the beam of energy shot past next to his ear and into the wall.

"Crap! I thought the safety was on!" Lance hastily examined the tiny switches on the blaster. He quickly put it back on the shelf.

Hunk pulled out another shelf, and his hand gravitated towards a large box with a large V carved on it.

"Ah, I see you have found the bayards."

"Bayards?" asked Hunk.

"Let me show you," said Coran. The rest of them peered over his shoulders as he opened the box to reveal four devices. He took one out and passed it to Hunk.

"This is a weapon developed by King Alfor himself and can only be activated by those deemed worthy of wielding it."

Hunk looked at the tool-like device, turning it over to examine the material. "How does it work?"

"Well, you simply channel your energy and thoughts into it and it should take the form of a weapon best suited for you," explained Coran.

"Energy? So this is a weapon for Myths?" asked Hunk.

At his comment, Lance, Keith and Pidge each curiously took one from the box to examine.

"Maybe you should keep it on you. Might come in handy," said Coran thoughtfully.

Keith gripped his fingers over what looked like a handle on the almost triangle-shaped device and gave it a few experimental swings.

"Energy and thoughts," repeated Pidge. He turned it over and stared at it. "Is this bayard crystal powered like the ship?"

"Nope!" said Coran. "It's made of a material infused with dragon teeth. Dragons have a long history of being energy-compatible with many beings."

"And where exactly do the dragon teeth come from...?" said Lance.

"Dragons regrow teeth and shed scales a few times in their lives," said Coran. "The bayards are carved from the baby teeth of King Alfor himself. Full-fledged dragons are far and few between, though, so such materials were highly sought after."

"Are you a full-fledged dragon?" asked Pidge.

Coran shook his head. "I cannot take full shape as Allura does. Only those of the royal line seemed to have inherited that ability. It would seem that Allura is the last Dragon who has a complete Manifestation."

Pidge's attention was suddenly turned away from the conversation.

"Woah, Keith! How did you do that?"

Keith test swung his bayard, feeling the weight of the red blade that extended from the energy emitting edge.

"I just focused on giving the bayard energy and thoughts?"

Lance looked at Keith's sword and then at his own bayard. He shook it a few more times, but nothing happened.

"Not much of a hint there, but let me give it a try," said Pidge. He disarmed the energy-canceler on his collar and Lance could feel the familiar shroud of energy enveloping the room. The tiny cadet held the bayard's handle with both hands, his glasses glinting as he focused. An arrow-like edge formed on the bayard and took on a green glow. Pidge hummed approvingly at it.

"I think it suits me," said Pidge. He test-swung it a few times and then pointed his bayard at the wall where Lance's blaster had left a scorch mark on earlier. Placing a hand on his forearm to steady his aim, he clicked something on the bayard and a grappling hook made of crackling energy fired out and lodged itself into the scorch mark on the wall with precision.

"That is some wonderful control of energy," said Coran, amazed.

Pidge flicked his wrist and the hook retracted back into the bayard.

"Aww, you have a cute little bayard," teased Lance.

Pidge eyed Lance, and smacked the blunt edge of his bayard against him.

"Ow!" yelped Lance as he got an electric shock.

"It's pretty cute," smirked Pidge, very satisfied with his bayard. "The ability to control the energy output on this thing is amazing!"

"You could've killed me with that thing!"

"Hmm, I'm sure I've set it to the lowest voltage," said Pidge. "Wanna try again?"

Lance backed away hastily.

"Well then," said Coran. "Why don't you keep your bayards on you and pick something else out just in case?"

"I suggest we all take a blaster," said Shiro, a sound suggestion which everyone readily agreed with.

"Hey Shiro, you want to take my bayard?" offered Hunk. "I don't think it'll work for non-Myths like myself."

"Keep it, Hunk. I've got my arm," said Shiro. He noticed Hunk worrying the bayard with his fingers and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We're going to go back there and help them once the pods are up."

"Yeah, we will," said Hunk. "I just can't help being worried about Shay, that's all. She got us the crystal and now the Galra has her. You have no idea. Most of her friends have already given up on being free. She told me she hasn't even seen the sky for years."

"Soooo. This _Shay_. She pretty?" Lance grinned over his shoulder.

"Cut it out, Lance," said Hunk, but there was no bite in his retort.

"We'll get her out, lover-boy," said Lance, slapping Hunk on the back. "Promise."

"Yeah," said Keith. "She sounds very brave. I'd like to meet her."

"We've all got your back," said Pidge.

"Thanks, guys," said Hunk. "I think we can really do this."

"Of course," said Coran. "Now if you'd put on your armour for protection." He handed them some helmets and stretchable body suits with thin armour plating on them, insisting they put it on for protection.

"What is it made of?" asked Shiro, rubbing the white plating between his fingers curiously.

"They look a bit tacky," mumbled Lance as he tugged the leg guards on.

"These are Paladin armour, made specially for the Paladins of Voltron. The plates are made from refined dragon scales," said Coran, twisting his moustache proudly. "Bullet-proof _and_  waterproof! The suits themselves are woven from a special alloy and are great for exercising in, and I should know because I'm wearing a suit made of the same material myself." He grinned and plucked at his suit to show them how elastic it was.

"Are you sure we can use all these things? We're not Paladins," said Hunk.

"You lot are prime candidates, so you can treat this as a trial run," Coran gave them a toothy grin. Hunk backed away.

Lance grumbled at his non-reacting bayard and hooked it onto his belt. Trust the heavy-weight Myths to figure it out first. Pidge was expected, since Sphinxes were smart, smart Myths, but to have Keith figure it out before he did—while looking infuriatingly clueless—irritated him. He patted the blaster hanging on his right side and figured he'd just have to prove himself with what he had.

Everything went mostly according to plan, with the Castle moving in cloaked until they were close enough for Pidge to calibrate a short-distance signal-jammer. Once the sentry forts and their mounted guns were shot down, Lance and Keith flew out, taking out the mounted guns and sentries on the way down the deep mines, clearing a clean path for Hunk and Shiro behind them.

Once at the bottom, the tunnels were too small for the pods. They left the pods behind and split up, with one pair finding the Balmerans and the other searching for the whereabouts of the Galra's leader.

The information Shay had given to Hunk and Coran was accurate so far—there was only one Galra officer in charge of the mining operations here with a handful of soldiers overseeing the Balmerans. The guards were all drones and robot sentries.

"Keith, Lance, you guys try not to get into any big fights until everyone's accounted for," came Pidge's voice into his helmet. "Hunk, Shiro, keep updating us about the Balmerans' situation."

"Roger," said Lance, adjusting his helmet.

"We found Shay," came Hunk's voice. Lance heard someone yelled in Hunk's background, followed by the sound of heavy rocks falling.

"Hunk!" he yelled into the communicator.

"We're all right," Hunk coughed. "They used Shay as bait and shut us in a cave."

"Hang in there, we're on the way," said Lance. He motioned Keith to follow him and they went in the direction he saw Hunk and Shiro head earlier.

"Be careful," said Hunk over his helmet's communicator. "I think the guards will be here soon."

"I'm sorry," said Shay, a tall being of stone standing an inch above Hunk. She hung her head worriedly. In the crystal-lit room, he could see her amber eyes narrow in worry.

"It's not your fault," said Hunk. "I'm the one who got you into trouble in the first place."

Shiro pushed against the rocks that blocked their entrance and shook his head. "We can't move the rocks by ourselves."

Shay placed her hands on the wall. "Maybe I can try sending a message to the others and hope they can hear me."

Hunk followed her lead, pressing his hands against the wall. The crystal embedded rocks under his fingers felt alive and warm, and he could almost hear voices whispering in the stone.

"My friends have heard," said Shay. "They're on the way."

"Shay," said Hunk, his mouth open in amazement. "I can hear them too. The land is speaking. It's...alive."

She smiled at him and nodded. "The crystals give life to the Balmera, and the Balmera land gives life to us. If the Galra extracts all the crystals without giving back, our land will die, and we Balmerans too, will cease to exist."

"Can we heal the Balmera?"

"The Alteans used to come here to share their energy with the land in return for crystals that the Balmera was willing to give," said Shay. Her golden eyes dimmed and her long ears drooped slightly. "But ever since we received news of Altea Sanctuary's destruction and the Galra attacks, we've lost hope."

The voices in the walls got closer.

"Shay, I think your friends are here," said Hunk. Shay placed her hand on the wall and pleaded for them to help move the rocks from the tunnel. The tall Balmerans broke down the wall with tools and strength, and both Shiro and Hunk rushed to clear the tunnel from the other side as Shay kept her connection with the walls to the rest of the Balmerans.

"The Balmerans are gathering. I've told them there are still living Alteans, but they want proof."

"Shiro, Hunk, are you there?" came Pidge's voice.

"Yes," said Shiro. "Hunk and Shay can communicate with the other Balmerans. We'll try to persuade them to help us take down the Galra."

"Great. Once you and Hunk get out, go help Lance and Keith in the tunnels. They seem to be having some trouble."

"Understood," said Shiro.

The blocked room opened, and the other Balmerans looked relieved to see Shay.

"I'm sorry, sister," said Rax. "I thought the Galra would leave us be if I reported the intruders."

"I forgive you, brother," said Shay. "You did what you thought was best, even if it was not wise."

Rax took a deep breath and stood straight, looking Hunk in the eye. "I owe you for saving this one, humans. What will you have me do?"

"We have an Altean ship up there that took down the sentry forts, so what we need to do right now is defeat the Galra here," said Hunk. "For that, I hope to have your help." He looked to Shiro, who nodded in approval.

"There are Alteans who survived?" gasped one of the Balmerans behind Rax.

"Indeed," said Shay. "I met one of them in person. He had the Altean scale markings under his eyes."

"If it is true, we will help you," said Rax. The Balmerans behind him voiced their agreements and got to work destroying the sentries and drones.

As they made their way down the tunnels, Shay took Hunk's hand in her own and squeezed gently. She was rock and she was warm. He could feel the energy flowing in her, connected to the land they stood on, and he felt his connection to this land stronger than ever. Her eyes lightened a shade as she smiled.

Shay looked to him, and he to her, and there were no words needed.  


* * *

  
Lance was about to shoot down his third sentry with perfect aim when Keith slammed into him. He didn't even so much as say a sorry, instead growling and driving his bayard's blade into the sentry, twisting and pulling the mess of wires out its torso.

"Dammit, Keith!" wheezed Lance, crawling back to his feet. Keith kicked away the damaged sentry and swiftly parried one more coming down on him.

Lance saw a soldier from a distance throw something towards them.

"Watch out!" Lance yelled.

Keith turned to see Lance running towards him and without warning, he was pushed him out of the way and pinned under Lance the same moment there was an explosion followed by intense heat and smoke. Sharp rocks scraped his limbs but the Paladin suit stopped them from slicing into his skin.

"Shit! Lance!" said Keith climbing out from under Lance.

"Lance," Keith called again. The lanky teen's eyes were closed and he wasn't responding. Keith checked for a pulse and was relieved when he found a steady one and for a second, thought that Lance was sturdy for someone so skinny. Hunk's worried voice came over his helmet, having heard the commotion. Keith told him Lance was alive, and Hunk assured him they were on their way over.

The sentries' remains were blown away by the blast, leaving a clear space around them. A tall, armoured Galran soldier stood before them, large, cat-like ears and yellow eyes trained on them. By his thick armour and large sword, Keith surmised he was the leader of this place.

"So you are the rats who sneaked in and caused all this trouble," growled the Galra.

Keith stepped forward, shielding the unconscious Lance.

He grunted as the Galra's larger sword slammed down into the flat of his sword, pressing it hard into his bruised arm.

"Shit," growled Keith as he dodged, rolled, and took another hit. His arms were shaking from the strain. The Galra was too strong. Sure he dodged most of the hits, but every hit he took was lowering his chances of survival. He looked for cracks, openings, anything that could help him chisel his way into defeating the Galra. He managed to get a few notches into the Galra's armour, but it barely did anything.

If he Manifested, he might take the whole tunnel down but it was too risky. Lance, being so close to him, would be burnt to crisp in a second. Dragging out the fight until Hunk and Shiro came was his only choice.

Lance's eyes cracked open, his head hurt and his mouth felt dry. His eyes adjusted and he saw Keith fighting off the soldiers and a Galra officer, barely holding up. He was slowly but surely being beaten to the ground. Lance reached for his blaster but it wasn't there. He must have dropped it in the explosion earlier. His hand rested on his bayard still hooked onto his belt. It was useless, he thought, but he gripped it nevertheless.

Keith was outnumbered, and Lance couldn't lie there and do nothing.

Lance saw the Galra officer's large sword coming down again on Keith and desperation bubbled up in his throat. Keith managed to barely dodge and the large blade smashed the ground beside him. The two soldiers were right where he rolled to and shot at him. He blocked one, but the other nicked his arm and he grunted in pain.

Whether it was by instinct of sheer desperation, Lance felt his gills tremble, and remembered what his _mamá_ taught him when faced in mortal danger.

He _trilled._  
  
The back of his throat opened, and his gills uncovered and fluttered under his collar. He went as loud as he could, working in the distorted harmonics in like he was taught to do. A shrill vibration worked its way into his voice as silver-blue scales gleamed on his neck. He could feel his back fins trying to take shape and flare out under his suit. He didn't need breath; his gills took in the air while he kept screaming until the Galra soldiers dropped their swords, visibly shaken and stunned.

Keith recovered a moment faster than the Galra and spun on his knees, cutting down the stumbling soldiers. He pushed himself onto his feet and turned to hear the Galra leader shout in pain. The Galra officer had dropped the sword he was about to bring down on Keith and took a step back as his armour cracked.

Keith caught with his peripheral vision Lance holding a rifle-gun in his hands, face filled with focus. Lance had shot the Galran officer dead in the chest. It wasn't enough to bring the Were-beast down, but it was an opening served on a silver platter.

The Galra officer took one more step forward and Keith drove his bayard right through the cracked armour.

When he drew his sword out, it was coated in purple blood.

"Oh shit. Shit shit shit. We killed him," rasped Lance breathily. His gills folded back into his skin and the scales were gone.

Keith limped over to Lance, kneeling down beside him and checking Lance over. "We don't have the luxury of showing sympathy for the enemy. if they die, they die."

"Still..."

'Don't think about it," said Keith. "Can you stand?"

Lance groaned. Keith slid an arm under his shoulder and tried to heave them up, but Lance felt his legs give way to pull the both of them down to the ground. His vision began to swim and he felt his fingers loosen their hold on his bayard. Before everything turned dark, strong arms wrapped around him, enveloping him in an almost unbearable warmth.

Hunk and Shiro came to them not a moment later. Hunk immediately took over carrying Lance and they headed for the transport. Keith was limping, and Shiro supported him while Shay and the other Balmerans led the way.

Hunk looked up as they loaded Lance and Keith into one of the pods.

"Something is coming," said one of the elder Balmerans. "The land is afraid."

"Keith, can you fly Lance back to the Castle?" asked Shiro. Keith nodded, and they left.

Hunk could sense a sinister presence looming above them. "We'll go take a look."

When Shiro and Hunk flew out of the mines and circled around the destroyed sentry forts to get a better look. Among the debris of one of the forts, a strange creature emerged.

The purple creature resembled a Galra but was much taller. Its had multiple elongated arms and glowing yellow eyes. Its teeth and claws were overgrown, and multiple crystals were embedded in its arms, and Hunk could feel the purple, glowing crystals were bad news.

You'll have to try and engage it," came Allura's voice. "It's too small for us to shoot it without risking serious damage to the land."

"On it," said Shiro. He aimed a shot at the creature with a missile.

The creature shot back, multiple shots easily cancelling out the pod's missiles.

Every attack their fighter pod gave, the creature countered with its own energy missiles. Its offense was rapid and frequent, raining on the land.

"We can't get a hit on it. We need more fighter pods," said Shiro.

"Pidge and I are on the way," came Keith's voice. Two more fighter pods emerge from the Castle-ship and eased most of the missile barrage on Shiro's pod.

"I want to try something," said Hunk. "Can you land for a minute?"

"Be careful," said Shiro. Hunk opened the cover of the pod and once they were low enough, he clambered out of the pod, landing harshly on the ground.

"Ow!" said Hunk.

"Hunk!" shouted Shiro.

Hunk rolled back onto his feet. "I'm okay!"

Shiro knew the headband-wearing cadet wasn't reckless. He quickly went back on making sure the creature didn't notice Hunk on the ground.

Hunk focused, his legs planted on the ground. The rocks beneath climbed up his legs and grounded him as if the Balmera understood what he needed. His bayard had been overflowing with a sort of energy for a while now, and he _saw_  that it would be strong enough. He channeled everything he had into it, and the bayard shifted into a gun-cannon, heavy and unwieldy. He knew this was his, and trusted in his strength to carry this through.

He aimed at the creature and fired a shot, hitting it square in the undefended side. The creature staggered and fell, flailing its many arms as Shiro, Pidge and Keith kept up their barrage of missiles.

_Please stay down, please please please!_

He charged up his cannon again, ready to shoot the creature, which was still shooting as it crawled unsteadily to its feet, countering almost every missile the fighter pods shot at it.

It head turned its attention to Hunk. One of its many limbs swung over to aim at him.

"Hunk!" yelled Shiro as he swerved his pod over to try and cover the young cadet from imminent doom.

Hunk could hear a chorus of voices coming from the ground below him. There was a deeper sound under all the voices. It was hurt, strong and angry, but also filled with a desire to protect its _own_.

Crystals grew and covered the legs of the creature like the rocks did for Hunk, but it didn't stop at its legs. The creature tried shooting at it in vain as solid crystals grew over its limbs, over its head, eventually encasing it in a ice-like cage.

The rocky earth, warm around Hunk's calves, fell away and he dropped to his knees, pressing his palms onto the ground.

He sent his relief and gratitude to the land below him.

 _Thank you._  


* * *

  
Keith peered into the pod that was just large enough to fit a grown man, only to be shoved aside by Pidge and Hunk checking the pod out. He settled for folding his arms and sulking. Allura explained the healing pods were Altean technology, powered by the Castle-ship, and aided in healing-acceleration.

"It won't be long now," said Coran. Allura checked the controls once more and entertained some of Pidge's more impertinant questions on Altean tech.

"Allura," asked Shiro. "Could you let Keith can use the pod too?"

"Oh dear," asked Coran. "Is he hurt too?"

"I'm fine," said Keith.

"Well then, that is good to know," said Allura, assessing him. She slapped him firmly on the back. He could feel large blisters popping under her rock-hard palm and bent over, grunting out a pained whine. Shiro swore he saw tears falling out of his brother's eyes.

"Hmm, you seem to be in pain. I suppose you'll be using the pod, won't you?" she asked, raising a brow, daring him to refuse.

Keith bit down on a whimper and nodded.

"Good. You can get in once Lance is out," said Allura.

Shiro decided that he really _liked_  Allura.

Pidge looked at the thumbnail-sized translucent stone in Hunk's hand. He was busy weaving a small net around it with a thin silvery wire.

"Is that a Balmera crystal?" asked Pidge.

"Yep. Shay gave it to me. She said the Balmera wanted me to have this." He dug out a thin leather cord from his pack, threaded it through the wire, and tied it around his neck.

"Nice," said Pidge. "So, as an Earth-Witch, does it help amplify your ability to read energy?"

Hunk mulled for a moment and in a minute, Coran and they were engaged in a enthusiastic discussion on Balmeran crystals.

"Heyyy, what am I missing?" said Lance, moving woozily and leaning on Hunk's shoulder.

"Only regarding how how moonsilver thread is a great energy conductor for most crystals and tuning it is—" Hunk stopped mid-way, eyes wide as he turned around and saw Lance looking lazily at him.

"Lance!"

"Oof! Ribs! Air!" gasped the lanky youth, struggling to free himself from the bear-hug.

"I'm glad you're all right," said Shiro, joining in and giving him a hug as well.

Pidge smacked the tall boy on the arm and grinned. "Glad to have you back in one piece, Lance."

Coran and Allura were smiling and showering him with attention and he beamed, ego stoked and very satisfied. His gaze, however, soon searched for a particularly sullen teen.

"What are you doing down there?" asked Lance, squeezing his way out of the hug and squatting down to look at Keith sitting on the steps.

"Uh, I'm glad to see you're okay," said Keith. He looking at the strange healing-pod suit Lance wore and needlessly added, "You look funny in that."

"Hey, rude! I saved your life back there."

"I was the one busy fighting them off while you got yourself knocked out," retorted Keith.

"Because I pushed you out of the way of certain death!"

"Well, you almost got me killed again screaming in my ear!"

"I was screaming at them and you just happened to be in the way. Besides, you wouldn't survived had I not shot that Galra!"

"Nor would you if I wasn't fighting off the soldiers!"

"You were just protecting your own hide! Name one damn thing you did for me!"

"I cradled you in my arms!" Keith blurted out.

Lance's eyes widened, but he quickly shot back, "Nope, don't remember, didn't happen."

Keith made a frustrated noise.

"Okay, time to get into the pod, Keith," said Shiro.

"I don't want to," whined Keith, but he zipped his mouth and let himself be ushered to the pod after Allura shot him a stern look.

"It's just for a really short while, buddy," coaxed Shiro, handing him the suit to change into.

"Now it's your turn to look funny," Lance gave him a two-finger salute and grinned.

"You can leave your underoos on," said Coran, recalibrating the pod's settings. Keith rolled his eyes and walked behind the pod to change. The rest of them left the room chattering.

Lance stayed, wincing when he glimpsed the mess of blood and pus on Keith's back as Shiro helped him remove the bandages.

"You have blisters, dude. Popped ones. You're much better than before but you still look like shit. How are you not in pain right now?" blurted Lance.

"I am," snapped Keith. "Why are you still here anyway?"

Lance froze up when he realised that maybe he shouldn't be here.

"Do you really want to see me in this suit that badly?" sighed Keith.

Lance pounced after the readily supplied excuse.

"Well, yeah!" He said, voice cracking. He held up his hands, making Ls with his fingers and putting them together to frame the moment. "Can't miss it for the world!"

Keith pulled on the strangely super-elastic suit and rolled his eyes at Lance. "Why are you like this?"  
  
Lance grinned.

Keith glared at the pod.

"I'll be right here when you come out," reassured Shiro.

 _It's like a mother trying to coax her stubborn child into taking their meds,_  thought Lance.

Keith's eyes flashed gold for a moment as the pod door slid shut on him. Lance would've thought the sullen teen was being childish but his currently tender post-trilling gills picked up a prickling energy surrounding Keith. It was turbulent and angry, like fire in the wind. It felt similar to what he picked up the first time when the unsociable teen bumped into him that day in the hallway.

Coran entered the settings in the pod's console and in seconds, Keith's eyes reluctantly closed as the healing process took over. The energy was replaced by a steadier, calmer one at rest.

Lance stepped up and peered into the glass.

"That's what I looked like in there, huh. Except I'm way prettier, of course."

He knew that was a lie, because Keith looked  _beautiful_  right now, dark hair framing a face finally devoid of the constant frowning plaguing him the past few days.

For a moment, he found he really missed Keith's smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Lunar New Year, everyone~  
> Thank you all so much!! I still can't believe the number of kudos I'm getting for this fic. O_O This chapter took longer than expected to write. Hunk always deserves more love <333 The next chapter will feature more Garrison, some cute Keith/Lance (finally!) and Lance being fabulously Mer.
> 
> Edit: Added fanart~ I figured if I wanted fanart I should just SHAMELESSLY DRAW IT MYSELF pfftttlol XD


	4. School's Out For Now

  
"Look at that, a royal workaholic," sang Lance as he strummed his bayard like a fake-guitar and watched Coran help Allura back into the Castle after she overexerted herself giving energy to Balmera. Even after all that fighting and him spending time in a pod, there was still a bit of daylight left before the end of what felt like a really long day.

Keith was patrolling the surroundings, eyes constantly flickering back to the crystalised Galra-made creature.

"A paranoid mullet is stalking the desert tonight, mmm," Lance hummed while he searched for more lyrics. He watched Pidge and Hunk pick at the functioning tech from the carts of gathered debris and broke out into a chorus, "The tech nerds are picking, oh, picking out the good stuff from the junk—" he searched for Shiro and spotted him coming out from the Castle after helping Allura in and was now chatting with Balmerans as he walked, good posture and all—"and Mr Right with his broad shoulders and his 'trust-me' smile, oh yeaaah."

He scooped to a high note until his voice cracked and decided that was the perfect note to end his perfect song.

No one was listening, so he hopped off the perch he was sitting on, and strolled up to bother Hunk and Pidge. He grabbed the lamp from Pidge's hands and rolled it in his hands.

"Hey, nerds, how's the nerding going?" drawled Lance.

Pidge rolled his eyes at Lance, snatched the lamp back and retorted, "Hey, loser, how's the losing going?"

"Woah," Lance took a step back and held up his hands in a placating manner, "My bad. Don't get all pissy on me."

Pidge huffed and ignored him. Hunk poked at the lamp and said, "You gotta admit this tech is really cool. Using cracked crystals for the lamps and clearer ones for the motors. It seems the condition of the crystal matters more than the cut of it."

"Yeah," said Pidge, adjusting his glasses and passing the lamp to Hunk's eagerly outstretched hands.

"Okay, fine, continue your 'enginerding' without me," said Lance.

"Why don't you go help Shiro? He looks like he could use some help moving stuff over there," suggested Hunk.

"Do I look like a heavy lifter to you?" Lance gestured to himself.

"Did you just insult yourself?" said Pidge. "Go bother Keith instead of us. We're doing proper work here."

"Pssshhh," Lance waggled his fingers at them as he stepped away.

Keith was taking a break, leaning against a waist-high rock with folded arms and his eyes followed Lance who was sauntering over.

"Whassup," said Lance.

"Hey," responded Keith.

"How are you not bored? You've been walking in circles for like, the whole time," said Lance. He expected Keith to argue back or say something annoying, but instead, he just shrugged and hopped up to sit on the rock behind him.

"Yeah, I'm bored," the dark-haired teen admitted, swinging his legs.

"You seem pretty chill. Had a good nap?" said Lance.

"I guess?" shrugged Keith. "The healing pod worked well."

"Oh right," realised Lance. "Finally free of blisters, huh."

"Yeah."

The conversation lulled into silence for a moment, and Keith's gaze moved to Shiro's direction, then to the others, as if doing a quick mental headcount.

"So, uh," tried Lance, and faded off, leading to another moment of awkward silence.

Out of the blue, Keith asked, "Are you a Banshee?"

"Huh?" Lance's eyes were wide in surprise, then in indignity. "Dude, that's rude. You don't just ask people if they're _Banshee_. They're like, a subset of Faeries. Some people don't like being called Banshees just because they can scream, okay?"

"So, are you one?" asked Keith, looking slightly curious.

"Nope," said Lance. "I'm not Fae."

"But you could do that screaming-thing?"

"Hey now, you don't get to ask all the questions," pouted Lance. "How about this? You answer one of mine and I'll answer one of yours."

"Fine," said Keith, his hands gripping the edge of his rocky seat as he swung his legs, looking pretty relaxed.

"Hmm, let's start easy," said Lance. "Where did you learn to use a sword?"

Keith put a finger to his lips in thought, as if he never had to answer such a question before. His lips puckered to the side slightly and he tilted his head as he recalled, "I think it was when I was adopted by—" he bit his lip and changed his choice of words,"—when I started living with Shiro. I started a sparring routine with him and kinda picked it up over time."

"Cool," said Lance.

"My turn," said Keith. "Is the screaming, uh, does it hurt you to do it?"

Lance thought he would go for the million-dollar family secret but it seemed Keith wasn't as horribly tactless as he appeared.

"First of all, it's not 'screaming'. It's 'controlled yelling'."

"Does it hurt?"

Lance shook his head and rubbed a hand on his neck. "Nah, I just get a bit of a sore throat. I mean, I did yell for, like, a whole minute."

"It was more like ten seconds," said Keith.

"Eh. Time is relative," said Lance. "My turn. You can use fire, right? So, can you like, create fire or control it?"

Keith's eyes cast down, as if Lance said the wrong thing. "Uh, you don't have to answer if it's uncomfortable," offered Lance, since there was no point antagonising Keith out of a little curiosity.

"I can create it," said Keith. "I can't really control it."

"I guess you're not a fire salamander since you got badly burnt setting off those explosions back there in the desert," said Lance.

"It wasn't the explosions," said Keith.

"Then how did you get—"

"My turn," interrupted Keith. "What are you?"

Lance scratched the back of his neck. Keith was going to be sorely disappointed if he told him he was a Mer.

"Um, if you're uncomfortable telling me, I understand," said Keith.

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you are." If he was going to tell, he might as well try to get the better trade.

"Sorry," he muttered, sounding almost apologetic. "I can't," he hopped off the rock, killing the conversation.

"No problem," said Lance.

Keith looked to Lance and gave him a half-hearted wave.

* * *

  
"Hey, Hunk, how was your morning date with your golem girlfriend?" yawned Lance, a towel around his neck. walking into the control room.

"Shay's not my girlfriend! She's just a rock I admire very much," said Hunk.

"And you love rocks," straight-panned Lance. "Did you hold hands?"

"No! We just watched the sunrise together. Because it's been years since the Balmerans saw the sky because of the Galra invasion?"

"That's really romantic," grinned Lance. Hunk covered his face with his hands.

"You're late," said Keith, coming to Hunk's rescue. He pushed off the wall he had been leaning on and grabbed his jacket off a seat. "Get your stuff and move out."

"Not all of us like to be seen with a head full of bed-hair like you," grumbled Lance. "And I can't believe in the lack of decent toiletries in this place. They use one bottle of soap for everything! Such heathens. Isn't this supposed to be a _castle_ resided by a _princess_?"

"Not a morning person, huh?" commented Pidge, who suppressed a yawn.

"This coming from someone who doesn't even sleep at night," Lance shot back. Pidge nudged his glasses and shrugged.

"Wait a minute," said Lance, turning his attention to the red-jacket. "Why are _you_  flying us? Didn't Shiro say last night he'd do it?"

Keith jerked his thumb at one of the seats in near the front of the room. Shiro was snoring away in it.

"He's sleeping," said Keith. "So I'm bringing you lot back instead."

"Shouldn't you be happier to see us leave?" Lance raised a brow.

"There are Galra to fight. It's no time to be fooling around at school," said Keith.

"We need information. I need gear. The Garrison has it," said Pidge.

Keith nodded at Pidge respectfully. He could agree with that.

"We need much more supplies," said Hunk. "I need to really stock up if I'm to help out here."

"Woah, guys, slow down, why so eager to commit to a long-term relationship already? We don't exactly know what this whole Altean thing is about," said Lance.

"If the Galra are hurting people like they did to the Balmerans, I'm in," said Hunk.

"Great," said Pidge. "Lance, you joining us or going back to your cozy cadet life?"

"Well..."

"Gimme your phone," Pidge held out his hand.

"What do you need it for?" Lance took out his phone and passed it over.

Pidge tossed Keith the phone.

"Hey, that's my phone!" yelled Lance.

"Well, mine's the only one which has a satellite function and tapping abilities, so I can't give him mine."

"What about Hunk's?"

"Sorry, buddy," said Hunk. "I need my shopping list and recipes."

"Shit, we can't sacrifice your recipes. Still!" insisted Lance.

"You'll get it back later anyway," said Pidge.

"If you come back," grinned Keith.

"Fine!" pouted Lance.  


* * *

  
Keith flew a larger cargo pod, picking up his hoverbike on the way to his old desert shack. From there he drove them close to the Garrison on hoverbike and they sneaked back in thanks to Lance's extensive knowledge of secret routes in and out.

Once the trio made it to Lance and Hunk's room, they sat down and talked.

"We have until tomorrow night, guys," said Pidge. "You guy can go apply for deferment from school for uh, family matters or something. It'll be good for you to stay low on their radar."

"Got it," said Hunk.

"And Lance," said Pidge. "I need you to map out an escape route or three in case anything goes wrong."

"Easy squeezy," said Lance.

"And while we're back, get the stuff on the shopping list I sent Hunk."

"What am I, a gopher?" grumbled Lance.

Pidge waved him off.

"Tomorrow morning you guys have to come up with an excuse for your absence," said Pidge. At Hunk's worried look, he added, "It'll be easy. You could just pretend Lance got distracted by a pretty girl and got you both stranded in the middle of the desert or something."

"I resent that!" wailed Lance.

"Unless you've got a better excuse?"

"Uhh...we were both sick?"

Pidge raised a brow. "And off-campus?"

"Stop being so logical, you little imp!"

"I'm not an imp. I'm a great big lion. With wings."

"Oh yeah, you Manifest right now or it doesn't count," Lance challenged.

Pidge humoured him with a smile, "Sphinxes don't manifest, don't you know that?"

"Eh?" Lance looked confused. "Why?"

"Sphinxes have some strict rules to follow. It's a thing."

"Oh, so one of the rules is 'no manifestation'?"

"It's actually the law, so yeah, if just one Sphinx physically manifests and gets seen, we're all majorly screwed."

"All? Is it a collective responsibility thing? Isn't that, I don't know, unreasonable?"

"Yeah, but it works in our favour most of the time. We get to do whatever we want in broad daylight because no one's scared of us."

"Kind of like the Mer too, isn't it?" commented Hunk.

"Yeah. We're as  _harmless_ as a merman," said Pidge, eyeing the taller, lanky boy.

"You figured me out, huh?" said Lance.

"You frickin' siren-screamed in my ear on Balmera yesterday," said Pidge.

"I did not."

"Oh you did. Would you like a playback? I have it recorded."

"Real cute, Pidgey," sulked Lance. "Real cute."  


* * *

  
The plan was to pack supplies, have Pidge pull whatever he wanted from the computers and have Keith pick them up on his hoverbike nearby the following night.

"Hey, Hunk, Lance isn't with you?" asked Pidge as he strolled into Hunk's dorm room that evening. "He hasn't been answering his communicator for the past two hours, so I thought he was probably bathing or sleeping."

Hunk spurted out the water he was drinking and quickly put down his mug. He took out bottled water from a cupboard and passed one to Pidge.

"What?" asked the bespectacled teen.

"Don't drink the water from the fountains or taps," said Hunk, slipping out of his fuzzy slippers for sneakers and opening the room door. "Lance is probably _there._ "

"There?" In a second, Pidge's eyes widened in horror when he realised what Hunk meant and they both dashed out to the toilet at the end of the hall to gargle and spit with the bottles of water.

They walk back to the room, Pidge cursing loudly. "What the! Why in the _hell_!"

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Lance smiled as he sashayed alongside them into the room. He had a towel bundled in his arms. His hair was damp and his grin looked extra refreshed.

"You! Why? Why do you do this?" Pidge wrung his hands at him.

"Shh! Keep your voice down, it's getting late," said Lance, shutting the door behind them. He blinked innocently. "Do what?"

Pidge toned down the volume of his voice but not his level of aghast. "Why were you in the water tank?"

Lance looked to Hunk. "You told him?"

"How could I not?" Hunk defended himself. "I had to warn him not to drink the water."

"The _potable water tan_ k!" Pidge emphasized.

"I obviously can't swim in the non-potable water tank, can I? I gotta shine my scales," said Lance, a little miffed.

Pidge threw his arms in the air. "I cannot—" his words gave way to incoherent noises.

"Besides, there's a filtration system between the tank and the taps. Me being in there doesn't affect the water one bit," shrugged Lance.

"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact we're drinking your bathing water, dude," groaned Hunk.

"Okay, fine. I should've told you just now I was going for my long overdue weekly soak," said Lance.

"Weekly—" spluttered Pidge. "I am never touching the drinking water here again. Ever."

 

* * *

  
They had Keith had come by on his hoverbike just before dawn to bring the boxes of equipment and supplies back to his shack where the cargo transport was. Keith had noticed they seemed a little pale but when asked, Pidge told him it was something he was better off not knowing for now.

Lance's excuse for his absence was that he had to rush home after getting a call from his family that his grandmother fell off a boat.

He sent a text to his family to corroborate with his lie just in case, and Hunk hopped on his bandwagon saying he went with Lance since their families were close. They were yelled at for an hour and thanks to their convincing grovelling and Lance shedding tears for his 'fell-of-the-boat' grandmother, they were let off easy and went to the office to apply for deferment.

He hadn't lied. His _abuelita_  would fall off his human uncle's boat on a whim and then come back to 'rock the boat'. The cheeky old woman lived to tease. In fact, she more than once tripped up Lance's surfboard and slapped him with her thick silver tail until he got angry and Manifested, trying to whack her back with his silver-blue tail. She was a tough old cookie who could still wrestle him into submission in the water.

"Thinking of home?" asked Hunk, and Lance snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. I wonder what kind of faces they'll make if I told them I saw a dragon," grinned Lance.

"They'll probably just laugh," said Hunk.

"Thanks," Lance rolled his eyes.

That night, Hunk continued to pack supplies and bring them to the meeting point while Pidge and Lance sneaked into the staff computer labs to get what Pidge needed.

"Be careful, guys," said Hunk, sacks of more supplies slung over his shoulder.

"You know the route we always take, bro. See you at the meeting point in a bit," said Lance, giving him a two-finger salute.

"Make sure Keith's ready to move out too," said Pidge. "Nothing should go wrong but I've did get caught once and I've learnt my lesson to always have contingency plans in place."

"So Keith's our Getaway, Hunk's our Bagman," giggled Lance. "You're our Hacker and I'm the Mastermind?"

"You're the Fall-guy," said Pidge flatly.

"Look at this pretty face," said Lance. "This isn't the face of a Fall-guy."

"Actually, you'd be perfect for that," chuckled Hunk. "You could give them your cute puppy-eyes and your captors will let you go scot-free."

"Ohhh, good one, Hunk," smirked Lance.

"Guys, let's get it moving if we want to get this _heist_  done somewhere before dawn," sighed Pidge.

Everything went according to plan. Pidge got the information, loading whatever he could find into a memory chip. It all went smoothly until the last stage. Hunk texted them over the phone, panicking that he couldn't see Keith anywhere at the designated location. A while later, Pidge and Lance made their way over to Hunk and neither the hoverbike nor its owner could be seen.

"Maybe he's still at the shack somehow?" suggested Lance.

"He texted to tell me he was on the way an hour ago," said Hunk, holding out his phone to let Lance read the message.

Pidge was beginning to look worried.

"Hunk, give a call to Shiro and check in with them," said Pidge. He dug out his headphones from his backpack and slid them onto his head, tuning in to the radio waves.

"Shiro says he isn't at the Castle-ship either," said Hunk, pressing the end call button on his phone.

"Hey, relax. Maybe he fell asleep or something," said Lance. "It's like, almost dawn now thanks to Pidge."

Pidge held up a hand to silence the other two as he focused on listening to his headphones.

"Shit," breathed Pidge. "There's something going on in the desert and they have notified reinforcements."

"They?" asked Lance.

"Garrison," said Pidge grimly.

"Do you think they're after him?" asked Lance.

"He's on the wanted list just like Shiro," explained Pidge.

"How? Did they spot his face when he rescued Shiro?" said Lance.

"No," said Pidge. "He's on the wanted list ever since last year. It says here he is wanted for refusing to cooperate with classified investigations. He's to be indefinitely detained upon sight."

"But didn't Iverson tell us he dropped out due to discipline issues?" asked Hunk.

"Where is he now?" said Lance.

Hunk's phone vibrated and he quickly answered it.

"Keith? Where are you now?" asked Hunk. Lance leaned in to listen.

"Look, I'm busy right now so you should make your way to the shack and take the transport to the Castle," came Keith's breathy voice.

"Are you all right? Where are you now?" said Hunk.

"I'm fine. I'll make my way back later," he replied.

Pidge grabbed the phone from Hunk. "Is the Garrison after you?"

"No," came Keith's hushed voice. "Galra. They're here. They found the cave where the Castle was and they saw me."

"Hang in tight, we'll figure out how to get to you," said Pidge.

"And don't do anything stupid," said Lance, pulling the phone close to him. "You'll get Shiro upset."

"Fine," said Keith, sounding subdued. "Let Shiro know so he can help."

"And Keith, if you can't escape and have to choose between the two, pick the Garrison," said Pidge.

A moment of silence over the phone.

"Trust me," insisted Pidge. 'I saw your files. So far, they're only interested in locking you up. If it's the Garrison, we can somehow break you out."

"All right. I'll keep that in mind."

"And don't you dare lose my phone," warned Lance.

"I'll try," whispered Keith, giving no promises. He hung up.

Lance looked to Pidge. "You're tracking my phone, aren't you?"

"But of course. You really need to update your phone though, it's ancient," said Pidge. "Now think up a plan for us, smart guy."  


* * *

  
Losing the Garrison wasn't hard. He had a hoverbike and endless desert, but during the pursuit, he ran straight into Galra Were-beasts that surrounded the cave they found the Castle in. Their yellow eyes glowed in the dark and locked in on him. They were all Manifested, some running as fast as his hoverbike and latched onto him with their claws and fangs. They knocked his bike over and he rolled into the sand.

He saw the lights of Garrison jeeps catching up and the Galra scattered. He left behind his bike and clambered into the nearest hiding place between some rocks. He stayed quiet as the soldiers hopped off, fully armed. Suddenly, a Galra pounced out and attacked the soldiers. He took advantage of the chaos and wiggled out of his hiding place and started running again, but the Galra caught sight of him and ignored the Garrison shooting at them in favour of pursuing him.

They were faster, stronger Were-beasts enhanced with technology. He lashed out with the dagger he always carried with him and cut one on the arm, then more Garrison planes arrived, shining ample light over this patch of desert.

The distraction from the Garrison gave him more time to put some distance and he headed to where the caves were. He knew this part of the desert like the back of his gloves and knew which ones had long winding tunnels. He ducked into one that had hidden crevices beneath and hid there. When he heard no one following him, he called Hunk.  


* * *

  
It was almost dawn when Keith crawled out and watched Garrison soldiers shoot at the Galra. The Galra, Manifested with claws and purple fur on their faces, had enhanced reflexes and strength enough to withstand the attacks from the human soldiers. Two more fighter planes swoop in and fire on the Galra, who dodged and ducked behind their pods. He could see more jeeps with reinforcements in a distance.

The Galra could see they were outnumbered and began to retreat. They hopped into their pods and fired back, and their injured were left to fend for themselves by their fellow Were-beasts. _The weak don't survive,_  thought Keith.

He dashed out, visualising a path to his hoverbike half buried in the sand across the current battleground. He tried to skirt around the Galra who were busy being attacked, but when they noticed him, they started attacking him instead, ignoring Garrison fire.

Keith inwardly cursed at his rotten luck and drew his dagger, wishing he brought the bayard with him. So much for what he thought should have been a simple cargo-retrieval mission. He ran until one of the faster Galra sprinted past him and dug her feet into the sand behind him, cutting him off. She was built for speed, her lean build and low stance ready to stop him whichever way he moved. He stepped in and slashed at her with his dagger, surprising her with his rapid bursts of movement. He lashed out again, his dagger whipping out and dug into her arm like a snake. She snarled and grabbed his jacket, flinging him off her by instinct. He had been waiting for this. His path was clear now, and he clambered to his feet and ran.

_They'll never catch me alive._

He remembered what he had told Shiro. The red of his bike gleamed under the last bit of moonlight. He was almost there. He pulled his hoverbike out of the sand, pulling upright—and was knocked off his feet by the Galra who caught up. Her knee dug painfully into his stomach as she pressed him into the sand, a clawed hand squeezing his neck to choke him into submission.

He grabbed at her arms, trying to pry them off. She only tightened her hold even as her forearm bled purple from the cut he gave her earlier.

"There's a generous reward for your capture, little bird," she purred.

White spots were dancing in front of his eyes, and Keith realised he had to decide now whether to Manifest. The fighting was getting closer, with Galra being beaten back by the Garrison reinforcements. Manifesting would be a really bad idea in front of an audience.

_Patience yields focus._

Damn Shiro and his old-man words of wisdom, thought Keith. He _focused_  on his hands, just on his hands, hoping for some semblance of control. Patience finally paid off when the Galra yelped and withdrew her burning hand from his neck. Despite the pain and the dying flames eating into her arm, she still pressed her weight on him, refusing to give up her prize.

He kept Pidge's advice to heart and yelled, coughed, and yelled for help. To hell with his pride.

A gunshot sounded, and the Galra slumped on him, shot point blank by a Garrison officer. He pushed the heavy body off him and stumbled to his feet. The Galra had all but scattered, and now he was surrounded by armed Garrison soldiers.

He drew in a deep breath and slowly tucked his dagger back into his sheath. He raised his hands in surrender as the soldiers closed in on him and twisted his arms behind him.

As he let the Garrison soldiers restrain his wrists with thick metal cuffs and lead him to their jeeps, he muttered under his breath, a litany of self-convincing words.

  
_Trust Shiro. Trust Pidge. Trust Hunk. Trust Lance._

  
He found himself taken back to the Garrison and shoved into a detention room. They had confiscated his phone and dagger, but took off his cuffs before locking him in, telling him to stay there for his own good. He rubbed his wrists, grateful for small mercies. He noticed the reddish burns on the tips of his fingers and licked them. It went pretty well as far as being captured went, he thought. The room itself wouldn't be too hard to break out of, he observed. He probably just looked like a lost teen to them and he hoped it stayed that way until he could find a way out of here.

He could hear the officers and soldiers outside, arguing over their injured and panicking over the Galra. For now, he worried more about his hoverbike baking in the merciless desert sun.

"Lance is going to kill me for losing his phone," he mumbled as he decided to sit back and take a break before planning his inevitable breaking out.

Not an hour later, he stared at the door, wondering if Shiro would approve him kicking the door down and making a run to the hanger. He was about to rattle the door handle when it clicked and opened slowly.

Lance made a "pssst" sound at him and slid into the detention room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Keith shook his head. "How did you—?"

"Shh. Change quickly, then follow me. Shiro's distracting them."

"Where is he?" Keith lowered his volume. Lance tossed him a cadet uniform and Keith shrugged off his jacket, revealing the bruises on his neck.

"Did you get burnt again?"

Keith found it funny somehow that he's being associated with burn injuries and chuckled while he rubbed his sore neck. "Nah. Just bruised."

He took Keith's jacket and stuffed it into a bag slung across his shoulder.

"Hey, you should do something about your mullet. It has 'I'm Keith!' written all over it. The girls will spot you and we'll be found out in less than a second."

"Really?" Keith blinked. He reached for his dagger and realised it was missing. "My dagger. Oh, and your phone."

"I got them back," said Lance. He fished it out and tossed the dagger to Keith. "They didn't even bother putting it in a drawer. Sloppy trainees."

Keith drew out the dagger and pulled at his hair, ready to slice through it.

"Stop!" Lance almost yelled. "What are you doing?"

"You said to do something about my hair," said Keith.

"Oh my god! Is everything all or nothing with you?"

Keith took the sharp pointy object away from his hair.

"How could you just give up your mullet like that? Didn't you spend years bonding together? How can you be so cold?"

"Shut up, Lance," said Keith.

"Just tuck your mullet into your collar or something. No need to be drastic."

Keith rolled his eyes but did it anyway.

"Okay, not a good idea. That looks plain weird," said Lance. He dug through his bag and fished out a rubber band. "Use this."

"Picky," scoffed Keith, but tied his hair into a ponytail. It was short and fluffy so Lance mentally dubbed it the 'bunnytail'.

Lance pursed his lips and considered Keith's new hairstyle for a second. "You look like a new man," he nodded approvingly.

Keith snorted a laugh.

They exited the detention room and after sneaking through some relatively empty hallways, they made it out, blending in with the students once they made it out of the detention block. Lance started nudging his shoulder and chatting the whole way across the halls and courtyards, drawing attention away from Keith who paid no attention at all to Lance.

Keith leaned in and whispered, "We should get to the hanger and find a transport." Lance laughed, as if Keith has told him a joke. Then he yanked his sleeve away from the direction of the hangers and pointed at the canteens.

He leaned in close enough so only Keith could hear him.

"They're sending out a lot of people to investigate the Galra, so guess what? The hangers are like their number one go-to spot right now," whispered Lance. "The canteens are the opposite way, so we'll go through there and exit."

Keith looked down and conceded, "I guess that...is a better idea."

They made their way into a noisy canteen and Lance casually bought drinks from a vending machine.

"Is this really the right time to—" Keith was interrupted by a pouch tossed his way.

"Learn to blend in, you bumbling neon pink sign," sighed Lance. He stuck a straw in his pouch and sipped at it, and Keith followed. He wrinkled his nose after the first sip and stared at the pouch. "Pomegranate-flavoured energy drink?"

"Not a fan?" said Lance. He angled his pouch towards Keith. "Try this."

"Soursop-flavour," Keith read off the label blandly. He leaned in and took a sip from Lance's drink pouch. It wasn't too bad, he thought. At least it was less sweet.  
  


"Let me guess, you're a boring apples and oranges guy," said Lance.

"It's an energy drink," said Keith, going back to his own drink and chewing on the straw as he sipped. "Why do they even need to flavour it with fruit?"

"So are you saying they should let it taste like the bland crap it is?" said Lance.

Keith frowned. "If they are going to make this taste like something, it should be more fun than fake fruit."

Lance raised a brow in challenge. "Like what? Bubblegum? Caramel? I wouldn't mind a pizza-flavour drink myself. What about you?"

"Gunpowder," said Keith, a tiny smirk tugging a corner of his lips.

Lance looked at him, incredulous for a second, then annoyed that Keith was one-upping him. They bicker over drink flavours all the way across of the block.

Once they made into the staff building, Lance pulled him aside for further instructions.

"Listen. There's the Cage and a security office before the staff exit we're taking. From here on, I say 'duck', you crouch as low as you can. I say 'stay', you stay still. I say 'bin', you get in the red bin."

"Cage? Bin?" asked Keith. "What are you—"

"Shh," Lance put a finger on his own lips. The student population in this area trickled down to zero as they walked close to the walls, trying to look subdued.

"Duck," said Lance, and Keith followed his lead as they crawled under the windows of an equipment rental room. They could hear an instructor negotiating with staff in there over the borrowing of equipment. Keith peeked over the glass out of curiosity when the argument sounded heated and saw bulky machinery and equipment kept behind locked bars.

"Cage," mouthed Lance, jabbing a finger in the direction of the equipment room when they made it past the windows.

He pulled Keith across the hall and backed up flat against the wall, a lanky arm across Keith's chest to keep him from running out. He looked into the turn to the next hallway and when he saw it was clear, he crouched and gestured Keith to follow him until they came to a small security area near the exit door with an 'access pass only' sign on it.

Lance pressed a card onto the panel near the exit door. It beeped and he held it open, gesturing for Keith to hurry up.

"Bin," mouthed Lance, pointing to the convenient bins outside the exit. Keith watched as Lance hopped into a blue bin. Keith followed, figuring if Lance did it, he could do it too. He hopped in the red bin next to it labelled 'Combustibles' and waited.

A few seconds later, a guard popped out of the exit room and looked around, muttering something about hearing things. When the guard was gone, Lance hopped out and tapped a knuckle on Keith's bin, lifting off the top for him to climb out. He almost tripped as he freed his legs from the narrow container.

"Clumsy," teased Lance.

He beckoned Keith over to a small alley where some large bins of scrap metal stood and there were a few nails hammered in the walls as footholds. "Stay close," said Lance, as he deftly climbed the bins and up the wall, hooking onto the nails with his fingers and grunting as he pulled himself up.

"Ugh," said Lance as he swung his legs over the wall and sat there for a moment before hopping right off, landing and rolling off a cushion of grass and sand. "Definitely my least favourite route out of the Garrison," he groaned.

Lance watched Keith land on his feet like the perfect guy he was and rolled his eyes.

"Well, what did you think of that?" asked Lance, grinning.

"What do I think of what?"

"Dude, you just took one of my top secret escape routes," said Lance.

Keith tilted his head and pressed a knuckle on his lips.

"Was the bin disguise really necessary?" he said. "If we were fast enough to turn into the alley, that wouldn't be needed, would it?"

"You're not thinking far enough. What if the guard decided to look in the alley too?"

"I guess you have a point," shrugged Keith.

"I have _all_  the points," said Lance.

The look on Keith's face was nothing short of beautiful when they walked under a shadowed ledge where Hunk was waiting with a familiar red hoverbike. His fingers trembled slightly as they ran over the scratched frame of the bike, his cheeks feeling stretched from the wide smile he couldn't hide.

"You got her back," said Keith, voice filled with breathless relief. "Thank you."

"No problem, buddy," said Hunk, giving Keith a light pat on the shoulder. "We're meeting up with the rest at your shack. Do you want to drive?"

"Hurry up and get on, Lance," said Keith, already on the bike and ready to go.

"Who died and made you the leader?" muttered Lance.

* * *

  
They made their way to the shack and Keith pulled off the cadet uniform and tossed it back to Lance. He looked almost relieved to be out of uniform. Lance tossed his jacket back over and he pulled it on. He pulled the rubber band from his hair and gave it back to Lance, who looked almost disappointed the cute fluffy 'bunnytail' was gone.

"Wait here. I need to go grab Pidge. He's gone off trying to see if he could salvage and check out the equipment the Galra left behind in the earlier clash," said Hunk, eyeing Keith in particular as he continued, "If you're not here when I'm back, I am going to be very worried."

Keith nodded and gave Hunk a smile. "Wouldn't want to worry you, big guy."

"See you," Hunk grinned back. He wiggled his fingers at Lance, who blew him a kiss and wiggled his fingers back.

Lance plopped down on Keith's only chair and seemed somewhat annoyed he couldn't swivel on it.

Keith stared at the large conspiracy board on his wall that was gathering dust. Perhaps he should take it down lest someone else found it. He busied himself mindlessly dismantling the board and finding a box to put the folded articles in.

"You bringing that to the Castle-ship?" said Lance.

"Probably," said Keith, throwing the strings and thumbtacks into the box with the paper.

"What about your blanket?" said Lance. He picked up the thin woollen blanket and poked at the holes in it. "This is the swiss cheese of blankets."

"I'm not bringing cheese with me," said Keith. "It doesn't go with the green food goo Coran was trying to feed us yesterday."

Lance laughed again. "So you _can_ joke! And here I thought you were just an emo mullet." He picked up the lumpy pillow and turned it over, then shook it when he felt something inside. A pebble fell out.

"Oh," said Keith. "So that's where it went."

"Why—" Lance stared at the light reflecting off the small pebble in his hand. It looked like he held a piece of glass blue sky in his palm. If he angled it a certain way, he could see a hint of red on the edges— "do you have a _rock_  in your pillow?"

"I put it _under_  the pillow," said Keith, as if his concern was with being accused of the wrong preposition. "And then I probably forgot about it."

"It looks like a pretty nice rock," said Lance. "You gonna bring it with you?"

"Nah," said Keith, and added with a slight grin. "I might bring the pillow, though."

Lance snorted and threw the pillow at him, earning a bark of laughter as Keith threw it back and smacked him in the face.

"Oh my god. If the rock had still been inside, I'd be dead," said Lance, horrified.

"Stop being so dramatic. And if you like that damn rock so much, you can have it," chuckled Keith. He rubbed his face, his cheeks feeling stretched and sore from the laughing.

Lance took the damn rock.

* * *

  
"Is everyone accounted for?" asked Shiro as he piloted the spacious cargo transport back to Balmera where the Castle-ship was parked. Allura sat in the co-pilot seat and Keith looked sour at the fact he wasn't in a seat with piloting controls. Shiro was in Paladin armour and Allura's hair was in a bun and she wore a suit similar to their paladin armour without the armour plates.

"Yeah, yeah," groaned Pidge. "I still think we should've waited. Maybe the Garrison guards would take a break and I could've snucked in to grab some of that Galra tech..."

"Pidge, no," said Hunk. The cargo area below was filled with a pod that Allura and Shiro had piloted back to the shack earlier on. They also managed to fit Keith's hoverbike in there. Boxes of Pidge's equipment filled their compartment, leaving them with hardly any room.

"Hey Princess," said Lance, putting on his charming face. "How about you get some sweet legspace back here while I take your squeezy, no-leg-room seat in front?"

"There's more leg-space here?" said Keith, puzzled.

"Shhh," he hushed Keith.

"No, thank you, Lance," said Allura. "I like piloting."

Hunk, sitting beside him, gave him a consoling 'you-tried' pat on the back.

"Shiro, how did you get away from the Garrison?" asked Hunk. "I thought they caught you."

"About that," said Shiro. He looked to the silver-haired Altean. "I'll leave the explanation to Allura."

"We, I mean, the Alteans, have a treaty with the Garrison twelve years ago. I brought it up to them and they had to abide by it. They failed to aid us ten years ago when the Galra attacked, and in return for overlooking it, they are to leave my Paladins alone."

"Paladins?" asked Hunk.

"Altea considers the five of you to be Paladins of Voltron after your great feat at Balmera," smiled Allura. "Hunk, Lance and Pidge, I didn't tell them about you, since I thought you might want to keep it a secret from them. However, if you require it, letting them know you are Altea Sanctuary's Paladins should deter them from giving you and your families trouble."

"You should have seen her talk down to the high-ranking Garrison officers," chuckled Shiro. "She was amazing."

"After all you've done for them, they talked like you were property to be traded," said Allura, curling her lips in disgust. "They have no right to treat you like that."

"She listed out the benefits of being allied to Altea right after smacking them down with her argument," said Shiro. "They could hardly refuse the offer and she even had the higher ups sign on a few added clauses while at it. In other words, all your families will be safe as long as they honor the treaty."

"That's great to hear," said Lance, awed by Allura's foresight.

"And Keith, the Garrison can't touch us anymore," said Shiro. "You and me both, we're free now."

Keith's face brightened up and Lance had never seen a happier expression on the ex-cadet's face.

Hunk's face turned green and dug out a barf bag from his backpack.

"No offense to your piloting, Shiro, but I'm beginning to feel sick now," he whimpered.

"It's actually a compliment that he took this long to feel sick," said Lance. "He can't even last half a minute in simulator with me."

"That's because your piloting sucks," Pidge rubbed in.

"No offense taken," said Shiro. "I'll try my best to fly smoothly."

"Thanks," said Hunk, staring into the paper bag.

* * *

  
After they reached the Castle, Shiro had them gather in the control room for a meeting.

"I've been remembering things about the Galra," said Shiro. He looked to Pidge, who nodded. "Pidge agreed I should tell this to all of you as well."

"Where do I start?" He sat down and rubbed his face. "The Galra are Were-beasts capable of full Manifestations due to being artificially enhanced."

He held up his arm and it lit up purple as he activated it. "The Galra druids are the ones responsible for their technological advances. They're also the ones who took my arm and replaced it with their tech. It's powered by some form of 'Quintessence'."

Allura explained, "Quintessence is a very pure form of energy. Balmera crystals contain a high amount of it. It's what runs our ship too. The Galra uses a form of quintessence that is corrupted due to their cruel methods of extraction." She looked to his arm and frowned. "The result is the purple you see."

"I'm not a Myth but it seems I can partly Manifest as a Were-beast thanks to this," said Shiro, powering down his arm. "They—the Galra druids are doing human experiments. They're trying to bring back the rare and extinct Myths."

"Like the unicorn?" asked Lance, trying to lighten the mood.

"You wish," said Keith. Lance glared at him. He glared back.

"I'm guessing those with the power they desire," said Allura. "Like the dragons or the firebirds."

"Firebirds?" said Lance. "Those are bad news, man."

"Yeah," agreed Hunk. "When the last of them died, a whole town was destroyed."  
  
"Scholars call such incidents 'Phoenix Fire'," said Pidge. "Even though they technically aren't phoenixes because they don't rise from the ashes and all that."

Allura's gaze flitted to Keith for a moment and back to Shiro.

"Firebirds are extremely rare and only awaken their first Manifestation in very specific conditions," said Allura, shaking her head. "Many of them go through their entire lives without knowing what they are. To be able to find or create one, the Galra must have taken many lives."

"If the Galra's doing all these experiments on the prisoners..." Pidge trailed off.

Shiro pinched the spot between his brows and then rubbed his face, taking a moment. The others waited patiently until he was ready to continue.

"They made us, the prisoners, fight their failed experiments in the gladiator rings. Matt was there. I don't remember it clearly, but I...attacked him when they were about to send us into the ring," he looked to Pidge and bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"Did he say anything to you?" said Pidge.

"He was scared and told me he was going to die. Then I hit him. The Galra had me take his place in the ring because he was hurt," said Shiro.

"You saved his life," said Pidge.

"But he could have saved himself if he—"

Pidge held up a hand to stop him. "Sphinxes aren't allowed to physically Manifest."

"You mentioned that," said Lance. "Why couldn't he, though? Isn't he a full-fledged Sphinx?"

Hunk sensed a deeper question and asked, "What would happen if he did?"

Pidge pushed up his glasses and crossed his legs on the seat. "If he Manifested, the government will have an excuse to order the Garrison to round up every Sphinx in the country and kill or incarcerate us."

"What? Why?" cried Lance.

"This is to minimise the threat of a Sphinx going rogue. If a child Manifested by accident, we could somewhat explain and get away with a slap on the wrist. If Matt Manifested for the purpose of battle, be it for self-defence, he would be deliberately breaking the law and that won't be overlooked by the Garrison. We won't go down without a fight and this would severely weaken the Garrison, leaving no resistance for the Galra. I'm sure even my idiot brother knows that's what the Galra wanted."

"Wait, Matt as in Matt Holt?" said Lance. "He's your brother?"

"Pretty obvious, right? He's a Sphinx, I'm a Sphinx. My whole family's Sphinx," shrugged Pidge.

"Why is your name Pidge Gunderson?"

"It's obviously a fake name," said Pidge. "And no, Lance, I'm not telling you my real name so you can blab it around."

"You..." said Lance. "You're a real-deal secret agent."

Pidge couldn't help the smirk on his face but pretended to ignore him and turned back to Shiro.

"Do you know where my dad and Matt are?" asked Pidge.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember," said Shiro. "I was taken away after the fight in the ring and I didn't see Matt again after that. They did mention something about the Garrison getting in their way and having something the Galra wanted. I think that's why they attacked us before the mission."

"But the rocket took off," said Lance. "It was in the news."

"It was staged," said Keith, his eyes narrowed. "You can't trust anything the Garrison says. They'll do anything to keep a good reputation. Even if it takes a year to report fake news."

"For once, it seems your conspiracy theory may be correct," said Shiro. Keith clicked his tongue at him.

"They were probably trying to cover up the Galra attacks on their base," said Shiro.

"They may have been similarly attacked ten years ago," said Pidge. "During the attack on Altea, the Garrison was slow to respond. It could be that the Garrison didn't want to risk their troops or that they were already busy fighting fire on their own end. By that, I mean literal fires from a series of terrorist attacks."

"I think so too," said Shiro. He looked to Keith, then to Pidge and Allura. "We lost our parents in one of those attacks."

"They worked for the Garrison," supplied Keith.

There was a moment of silence until Allura concluded the meeting.

"There's more to the picture than what we can see," said Allura. "We should do what we can for now. I'll have Coran look for distress signals and locate Galra prisoner bases. Perhaps by helping them, we could gain more information on what the Galra are planning."

"That sounds good," said Shiro. His eyes were dark and his brows still furrowed as his shoulders sagged. He looked drained.

"Meanwhile, as Paladins, you have to become stronger before you can take on the Galra. We'll begin your training tomorrow," said Allura. "Get some rest while you can."

An audible groan came from Lance as they walked out the room.

"How are you holding up?" Keith clapped a hand on Shiro's shoulder. He peered in and saw the dark circles under the taller man's eyes.

"I just need sleep," smiled Shiro. He pointed to the bruises on Keith's neck. "How about you?"

"I'm fine," said Keith, slightly prickled. "I didn't Manifest. 'Patience yields focus' and all that crap—I listened to you, all right? Look, no burns."

"Let me hug you so I can see if you're telling the truth," said Shiro, spreading out his arms.

"No!" Keith laughed and pushed him away.

"But I'm proud of you, baby brother," Shiro mock-pouted.

Keith gave in and let his brother _goddamn_ hug him.

* * *

  
After dinner, Pidge let the secret out.

"Dear Alteans, fellow Paladins and former cadets," began Pidge. "I have a very serious announcement to make. Please stay seated and have some water with you. Also, the toilets are down the hall to your right."

"Oh no," said Hunk, fingers worrying his napkin. "I don't think they want to know this."

Pidge stood up, looking at the two blissfully ignorant brothers.

"Shiro, Keith, you don't know this yet, but both of you have been drinking Lance-flavoured water for at least a year."

"What?" exclaimed Keith and Shiro in unison.

"He has a habit of skinny-dipping in the Garrison's potable water tanks," said Pidge.

"It's supposed to be secret!" said Lance.

"It's really not," said Hunk.

"He goes for there for his 'weekly soaks'," said Pidge.

Keith and Shiro had shocked expressions on their faces. Keith reached out for his glass of water, looked at it, blanched and left it alone.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Hey, no need to be dramatic. I'm sure I taste really good."

Pidge made a gagging sound and Hunk suddenly turned to Allura and Coran. "You don't happen to have water tanks here too, do you?"

"We do, but it's fitted with water recycling technology so the tanks aren't large enough to swim in."

Hunk breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, but we do have a pool," said Allura.

"Yes!" cheered Lance.

"If you clean it, you can use it," added Allura.

"No," said Lance, sinking back into his chair.

Keith and Shiro were pale as they shakily got to their legs, gave each other a look, and then raced each other out the dining room.

"Down the hall to your right!" Pidge shouted after them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and really lovely and encouraging comments!! I'm sorry that I reply late because I read them for motivation and tell myself I'll reply when I'm almost done writing the next chapter. It's been a bit of a challenge this chapter to try and squeeze in some plot(?)details without sounding too tedious. (which it probably still does orz) 
> 
> Special thanks to @beingevil for using the phrase "Lance-flavoured water" which I totally stole. XD
> 
>  **Edit** : 
> 
>   
>  Full size and tumblr post here! Reblog and support~~ [amazing artwork ](http://keyade.tumblr.com/post/161022419099)by Keyade of Keith with a 'bunnytail' and Lance getting inwardly flustered! Visit their blog for more wonderful art!
> 
>  **Edit 2:**  
>  Full size of the above art used in the fic can be found on my tumblr [here](http://amarukei.tumblr.com)!


	5. Fire In The Rain (Part 1)

  
Lance was an early riser. Steaming his face to clear out the blackheads he accumulated over the past few days required time and patience. The alarm blared when he was in the middle of applying a mask, so of course the alarm had to wait.

When he was finally done, he shuffled into the control room in his sleeping robe, patting his hair with a soft towel. He didn't even have time to work on the dry skin on his feet.

Allura glared at him.

"Morning, everyone!" said Lance, cup of water in hand. Hydration was important.

Pidge adjusted his glasses, a dismantled Galra drone under his arm and eyebags under his eyes. All-nighters were the enemy of good skin, thought Lance disapprovingly. Shiro and Keith were standing straight and at attention; Keith folded his arms when he saw Lance come in. Hunk was in his sleepwear too and drowsing off where he stood.

"Only Shiro is in full Paladin armour," scolded Allura. "And where are your bayards? A paladin must keep their bayard by their side at all times!"

Shiro held up his hands, trying to calm the dragon. "They're not soldiers, Allura. They need time to get used to it."

Somehow it made things worse and they ended up running laps around the castle in full armour while keeping their bayards powered.

"This sucks," panted Lance, his activated bayard draining him as he ran. "Can this get any worse?"

The castle started shooting at them.

"Damn it, Lance!" yelled Pidge. "You jinxed us!"

The energy missiles were homed in to them and exploded loudly when they touched land.

They all screamed. Even Shiro, albeit in a much manlier way than the rest of them.

"Stop shooting at us!" Keith shouted into his helmet.

"Ah good, the communications are working fine," came Coran's voice over their helmets. "Don't worry, lads, we're just testing the castle's defenses. The energy missiles are blanks and won't do any real harm since we're on Balmera after all!"

"Is this really necessary?" Shiro shouted, raising an energy shield to block another shot from hitting Pidge next to him. Pidge squeaked as Shiro crashed into him from the impact. Before he knew it, he was plucked from the ground and tucked uncomfortably under Shiro's robot arm, his elbow digging into Shiro's hip as the missiles chased them around the walls. Pidge mentally timed the bounce of Shiro's steady steps and shot out the grappling hook from his bayard to deflect a missile. He did it a few more times, getting into a rhythm to keep them from being blasted.

"Not bad, Shiro, Pidge!" Allura clapped in glee. "Come on, go faster!"

Shiro caught up to Hunk, who was quick at first when the castle started shooting but slowed down now due to the cumbersome bayard he was carrying on his shoulder.

"An Altean _child_  can run faster than you lot!" yelled Allura.

"You can't compare us to _dragons_!" yelped Lance.

The shooting intensified while Coran yelled something excitedly over the comms about 'keeping it real'.

"Stop jinxing us, Lance!" yelled Pidge.

"Run, you puppies! Your grandmothers can do better!" yelled Allura again.

"My grandmother actually does!" Lance yelled back.

"Why are you so proud of that?!" shouted Keith.

"Why are you all shouting!" screamed Hunk.

"Go, go, go!" goaded Allura.

"She's really into it," groaned Pidge.

"All right, lads," said Coran. "One more lap and you can take a break."

Shiro put Pidge down and took the rear, keeping his shield up while running.

"Race you," said Lance, sprinting up to Keith and bumping him in the shoulder.

"Why should I?" growled Keith.

"Then I'll win by default and that means I'm faster," said Lance.

"No way. I'm faster," said Keith, increasing his pace.

"I can hold my bayard over my shoulder while I run," challenged Lance.

"I can hold it over my head," upped Keith.

"How can you two still talk—" Pidge huffed as the two boys took a big lead—"when I can hardly breathe?"

When Shiro, Pidge and Hunk went back inside the castle, Lance and Keith were leaning on the wall and panting heavily.

"I win," gasped Lance.

"No, you didn't," panted Keith.

"Did too, mullet."

"I reached the entrance first!"

"I got _in_  the castle first," argued Lance.

"How are you two so full of energy," groaned Hunk.  
  


* * *

  
Their break lasted all of five minutes before Allura, decked in her white pilot suit, was all bright-eyed and enthusiastic, ready for the next exercise.

"To the training deck!" said Coran with matching enthusiasm.

"There's a training deck?" said Keith, perking up like he was being offered a present.

"Oh yes," said the older Altean. "We have the state of the art holograms and gladiator bots to suit your every training needs."

"Sounds amazing, Coran," said Shiro, ever the diplomatic one.

They made their way to one of the training rooms where Coran released gladiator after gladiator after them.

"There are inbuilt energy shields in your suits, so activate them and protect your fellow paladins!" yelled Allura from the control above the training room. "Hunk, you're leaving too much space. Pidge, your left is open!"

Pidge grumbled as he closed the gap to his left.

"Oof!" gasped Hunk as a gladiator rushed into the space he had left open and knocked him off his feet, sending him crashing into Pidge. The moment they fall to the ground, the tiles beneath them opened up sent them to plummeting to the room below.

"Hunk and Pidge are out!" announced Coran.

"Close in, boys," said Shiro, and both Lance and Keith backed up against each other, covering each other, rotating positions to let Lance take out the further bots while Shiro and Keith took out the ones that got too close.

"That's it! That's good teamwork," praised Coran.

"Hey, that was mine!" snapped Lance when Keith stepped out and slashed one of the gladiators down.

"It was closer to me," said Keith.

"No, it wasn't! You had to step out to whack it," insisted Lance.

Keith stepped out again and stabbed a bot that was on Lance's side while he was distracted.

"Watch your own side," said Keith. "Also, that's 5–3."

"What, you're cheating!" spluttered Lance. He jostled Keith away from him and aimed at one of the bots charging at them. Keith disabled his shield and gripped his bayard with both hands and brought it down on the same bot Lance was aiming at. Lance shot it at the same time Keith sliced it open.

"That was mine! 5–4!" said Lance.

"Incoming!" said Shiro as a new wave of gladiator bots were sent in.

Keith stepped out again, and this time, Lance followed.

"Uh, guys?" said Shiro when he felt his back no longer shielded.

"5–5!" hissed Lance as he shot one in the head.

"It's not down," Keith pointed out as he slashed at the same bot. "6–4."

A gladiator ducked his next slash and swept its sword into the space Keith left.

"Shit!" cursed Lance as the sword connected to his bayard. His shield was already up and blocking another bot striking down on him.

"Lance!" Shiro blocked another bot and looked over to their only long-range fighter.

Keith stepped in and drove his bayard into the bot over Lance's shield. In the empty space Keith left behind, another one charged in and slashed at him. Keith drew his sword back and parried but was too slow. He took a hit to his arm and was flung away from the other two. His back hit the ground and the floor swallowed him up.

The bots closed in and Lance's gun became unwieldy in close quarters. They took him out easily, kicking him down and he skidded across it to the same spot where Keith had been knocked down, which opened and swallowed him up.

There was a loud 'oof!' from Keith under the ground. Shiro groaned, surrounded and mentally preparing himself for his inevitable defeat.

The ground opened up after the round ended and the five of them climbed back up onto the floor of the training room. Allura stormed in, arms akimbo as she glared at them.

"That was not even a level one! Get up and do it again!"

"I can't," said Pidge, his arms shaking from weariness.

"Me neither," groaned Lance, leaning back on the ground.

"I'm hungry," said Hunk. "Can we have lunch?"

Keith hummed in agreement with the rest and rolled his aching shoulders. It had been a while since he went back to a routine.

"We don't have time for that," snapped Allura. "If you can't even work as a team, you have no chance of going against the Galra."

"We know that, Princess," said Shiro firmly. "We'll continue after we've had a break."

"Fine," said Allura, then turned around and left.

Coran brought them to the dining room and served them some green goo, extolling on the nutritional value of this traditional Altean military ration.

Shiro and Keith, having known beforehand about it, scrunched up their noses and swallowed it down as quickly as they could. Lance and Pidge gave up eating after a few sporkfuls. Hunk poked at it and tried it, and like a true culinarian, commented on the texture and taste, or the lack of it, in detail. He took out some blueberry-flavoured energy bars from his pouch and they were snapped up in seconds, to Coran's dismay.

Allura came into the dining room when they were almost done and Coran served her a plate of the same goo. She sat down, silent and staring at her plate.

"Would you like an energy bar?" Shiro reached over and offered her his bar.

She blinked, surprised by his gesture.

"We'll resume our training once we finish eating," assured Shiro. "We're not experienced so it might take a while to get used to it, but we'll try our best."

"I..." Allura stood up. She looked at the tired faces in the room and continued, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so impatient with you. I just couldn't wait to bring down the Galra."

They were kind, giving her an encouraging smile or a nod, and she knew she had to do right by them.

"Like you said, we have no chance against the Galra if we don't work together," said Shiro. "You're part of the team too, Princess."

Allura took a deep breath and took the offered bar on the table, absently peeling at the wrapper. "You're right. We're a team and we should plan this. Together."

"That's the spirit," said Lance.

"Planning is good," Pidge approved.

"Great!" chirped Coran, bringing up a list on his tablet. "I have some training menus here. Let's see, you've done basic stamina training followed by combat, both of which yielded rather poor results."

"There were some moments of team work that's to be commended," said Allura thoughtfully. "However they were still far from adequate. As such, continuing these exercises would be necessary."

"I'm not against it, but I'm too tired to run again today," said Lance, tilting his chair and kicking his legs up into the dining table.

"There's always other sorts of training you can do. I've got a list of bonding exercises you lot can try," suggested Coran.

Shiro added, "I think we should include individual training as well, especially for those of us who can't control our abilities well."

"If we're having a free period, I'd like to study the tech you have and what we found," said Pidge. "We need to find out how far the Galras have advanced tech-wise."

"Go ahead," invited Allura. "You can ask Coran should you need assistance."

"Cool," said Pidge, giving her a thumbs up.

"I'll go talk to the Balmerans. Maybe they can teach me something," said Hunk, his hand absently touching the crystal pendant tucked under his shirt.

"That is a good idea," said Allura. "Let's spend the rest of today finding out what you can do for individual training."

Pidge went with Hunk, wanting to get more crystal samples to analyse. With both his friends gone, Lance started sidling towards the door. "It's free time now, yeah? I'll just go have a drink or something."

"Not so fast, young man, I could use a hand cleaning the healing pods," said Coran.

"Crap," said Lance. "No, no, I'll be uh, training too. Like, meditating lying down and stuff like that."

"Come on, cadet, I'm sure you'll find cleaning very therapeutic," said Coran, beckoning Lance to follow him. The lanky teen groaned surrendered, dragging his feet as he shuffled behind Coran.

"I'll need to get used to my arm," suggested Shiro. "I can't keep letting it get in the way during battle."

"I can spar with you if you like," offered Allura.

"I'll take a rain check on that," said Shiro. "I can work it out with a gladiator for now. I think Keith could use your help more."

Keith visibly stiffened under Allura's scrutnising gaze.

"Let's work on your combat skills," suggested Allura to Keith.

"If it's sparring, I can work with a gladiator like Shiro," said Keith.

"Manifested," Allura levelled her gaze at him.

Keith shook his head quickly, "No, I can't control it. I'll hurt you."

"Then you'll have to learn."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Shiro. "His flames are hard to put out."

"Dragons are naturally compatible with many Myths," she eyed Keith. "And dragon rain can douse any fire."

"If you're sure," said Keith, sounding doubtful.

"I think you should tell your fellow Paladins what you are," said Allura. "Their support will help you."

"Maybe later," said Keith noncommittally. "I suppose you figured me out already?"

"Dragons are sensitive to energy signatures," said Allura, a gentle smile on her face.  
  


* * *

  
Keith was wearing full Paladin armour as Allura insisted.

"I won't be responsible for damaging it," shrugged Keith.

"Show me what you can do then we can start working on controlling it," said Allura.

"Okay," said Keith, glancing up to Shiro, who watched above them from the control room.

Allura Manifested and stretched out her wings. Keith could see the dark leathery hide underneath the pearly scales that flared out slightly as she stretched her neck.

The room crackled with pressure and the air became dense with energy. The high ceiling of the room was covered in a layer of grey and Keith realised, seeing white sparks in them, that they were storm clouds.

Keith backed off, wary of the clouds.

 _I am ready when you are,_  spoke Allura.  
  
"Patience yields focus," he muttered to himself and took a steadying breath. He had a little success controlling it when he fought off the Galra in the desert. He held out his hands, trying to will flames into existence. Flickering pale flames wrapped around his hands and he tried his best to damp it down.

 _Hold it_ , he told himself. _Don't let it take over._

His breaths quickened as sweat beaded his forehead from the strain and fear or losing control. The colour of the flames turned darker. He cursed as the bright yellow flames climbed up his arms and began to eat at his suit.

The rain fell, the water a soothing coolness on his scalded skin.

_How are your arms?_

Keith rolled up the sleeves of the suit. His arms were slightly reddened, but the suit prevent most of the fire from burning him.

"The suit actually works," conceded Keith. "And your rain too."

 _Good. That means we can continue,_  came Allura's voice in his head.

"You're doing great, Keith," came Shiro's voice from the control room.

 _Try again,_  spoke Allura.

He tried to calm down and visualised containing the fire to his hands. It flickered like a wild thing ready to bite at the smallest provocation. He couldn't help but feel frustrated and helpless as it spread upwards and eventually burst into gold and crimson flames, trying to burn whatever it could reach. The rain doused the flames once more as he hung his head low and stared at the scorched floor at his feet.

 _Fire is energy. You're emitting energy that transforms into fire once released. Just like with the bayard, try directing your energy outwards. Don't be afraid and let it cover you like a second armour,_  suggested Allura.

He tried, and the fire crept up along his arms and over his shoulders, threatening to burn him if he made one wrong move. The suit was helping to conduct the energy outwards instead of trapping it in. He was seeing Altean tech's energy compatibility in action.

 _Yes, like that. Don't try to pull it back. Let it spread around you slowly,_  spoke the white dragon.

The fire flickered red and orange. Keith shut his eyes and tried to focus harder, listening to the dragon's commanding voice. It was getting harder to focus now that the fire was biting into his skin again.

 _I can't do this,_  he thought. It would hurt either way: holding it back or letting it burn. It was so much easier to let the heat take over and worry about everything else later.

His eyes turned gold. His flames turned hotter, redder as they engulfed his suit. It was hot, and he wanted to get out of here. Instinctively, he started looking for an exit. Open skies were safer than walls.

  
_There was no escape._

His vision was blurring and he hissed as the fire took over. Everything went white for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, he was in his parents' house. His wrists were tied behind him to the large dining table with cable ties.

Two figures talked about him from another room. He couldn't see them, but they weren't voices he recognised.

"If we can't bring him back, we have to destroy the evidence."

"What if he Manifests?"

"If he doesn't die, we come back for him."

He struggled as he watched fire creep over from the kitchen. He tried to stand, pushing against the heavy table with his shoulders. One of the large figures approached him and before he could see who they were, poured something cold and slippery over him. The sticky liquid stung his eyes painfully and he squeezed them shut. His feet slipped on the floor and the ties yanked hard at his wrists, cutting into them. He spluttered and coughed at the foul taste. Gasoline. Hasty footsteps made their way out of the house.  
  
He could hear a voice calling for him from the outside.  
  
_Shiro._

He shouted Shiro's name as he pushed harder at the table. Something cracked painfully in his shoulder.

He yelled again.

He heard his adoptive parents shouting at Shiro not to go.

He heard Shiro screaming his name again and again.

He heard the sound of glass and wood crashing on the floor and the air was thick and hard to breathe.

The flames were near and he screamed when it finally caught the hem of his clothes and devoured him eagerly.

No one came for him.

The fire bit into his skin and sank deep, unbearable pain stabbing at him from all directions. Everything was burning. Everything was hurting.  
  
  
_No one was coming._  
  
  
"Keith!"

 _Shiro?_  
  
He was back in the training room. His flames were crimson red, shaped into claws around his limbs. The wings fully extended from his back.  
  
Grey clouds wept above him but he couldn't feel the rain.  
  
_White walls, no, no, no, have to get out, have to escape!_  
  
The sweltering heat rolled over his helmet like a buzzing haze. He couldn't hear anymore. He flapped his wings, banging against the walls like a crazed animal. His urge to escape thumped hard against his heart as he panted hard. He crashed into a wall and tumbled over the floor, then instinctively rolled over and crouched in a defensive position.  
  
"...eith, Keith!" came the voice again.

His eyes refocused and he looked to the source of the voice. Shiro was looking down at him from the control room. The thundering in his ear ebbed away and his mind cleared just enough for him to observe his surroundings: there were scorch marks on the walls and sharp, messy lines of black scraped across the floor. He must have lost control when he panicked and gave in to a full Manifestation. He bit down on his gums and bid himself to stay still, letting the rain to sink in.

He was in much less pain than expected. The suit and helmet blocked out most of the damage the released fire was doing to him. His spread wings dripped crimson fire, charring spots into the floor around him.

The storm grew and it rained harder. The water stripped the flames from him bit by bit; his wings were drenched and flapped aimlessly, dragging their tips over the floor and leaving scratch-like marks.

The red faded from his vision as the dizzying heat finally began to fade. His knees gave out and he fell forward, fire-claws on his fingers digging black marks into the floor. He pushed himself off his hands and the fire of his spluttering wings fanned out behind him, scorching the floor further. There was nowhere he touched that went unmarked.

As the last of his flames were extinguished, Shiro quickly made his way down to the training room.

"Careful, I might burn you," rasped Keith, giving him a half-hearted wave.

"You're doing great so far," said Shiro, pulling him up with his metal arm.

"The suit works," said Keith. "Um, thanks, Allura, and sorry I lost control back there."

"Let's get you to a healing pod," said Allura, letting the cool rain gently soothe the stinging on his skin. "We can try this again when you're healed and feeling up to it."

"Yeah," said Keith, his voice shaking.  
  


* * *

  
Keith walked into the dining room, tired and disoriented from being freshly out of the healing pod. He slumped at the table and stared at his plate blankly as Hunk served up freshly roasted Balmeran vegetables alongside the nutritional green goo Coran insisted they should have.

"You okay there, Keith?" asked Hunk.

Keith nodded.

"So what did you guys do the whole afternoon?" asked Lance, massaging his sore arms. "Man, I don't think I have ever cleaned so much weird tech in my life."

"I was studying land energy patterns with the Balmerans," said Hunk. "They also have interesting spices I want to try cooking with next time."

"I'm still analysing the Galra sentries we found. Their programming is a little primitive. The creature we fought was much more advanced. It's covered in crystal now, though, so I can't get to it. If I can somehow extract a sample..." Pidge waved his spork around as he spoke with his mouth full. Lance scooped some of his vegetables over to the small Paladin's plate.

"Eat up, talk later," said Lance. Pidge hummed and dug in, shutting up immediately.

"I'm working on my arm control with the gladiator bots," said Shiro. He looked at Keith who had his elbows on the table and was leaning his jaw on one of his hands, absently chewing on the goo. "And Keith was training with Allura."

"Oh, and Lance," said Coran. "I could use some help cleaning up the training room later."

"Keith was the last one to use it!" argued Lance. "He should clean up his own mess."  
  


* * *

  
Lance looked at the scorch marks covering the training room walls and floor and looked at the terribly inadequate bucket and rag in his hands.

"I hate you," he said to the dark-haired teen carrying an equally inadequate mop next to him.  
  


* * *

  
The reward of a cleaning job well done wasn't too bad. Hunk peeked into the training room with good news when they were almost done.

"There's a underground spring in the caves," said Hunk. "It's pretty big. And Shay said we can swim in it if we want."

"Really?" gasped Lance. "That's just what I need. Lead the way!"

"You coming, Keith?" asked Hunk.

"I'll pass," said Keith, gathering the cleaning tools in his arms.

"Well then, since you so valiantly volunteered to stay behind,—" Lance shoved his own bucket into Keith's gloved hands and skipped off with Hunk— "help me pack up, 'kay? Thanks!"

Lance whistled all the way to the platform elevator that the Balmerans had built over the past few days—he marveled at how fast they rigged it up— they took down to the caves.

"Shay said they're letting us have the spring all to ourselves tonight," smiled Hunk.

Lance nudged Hunk in the ribs and grinned. "I love her already. Please marry her for me, Hunk."

"Shut up, Lance," muttered Hunk, his fingers fidgeting against his thigh. Lance knew his best friend was definitely gone for the girl.

"So we're last to the party?" The lanky teen raised a brow at everyone already there. Most of them didn't have bathing suits and just soaked in shirt and shorts.

"Good of you to join us, Lance," Shiro raised a hand in greeting. They sat on the shallow end, letting the water come up to their chest. For Pidge, it came up to his neck.

"Hey, Shiro," Lance greeted back.

Allura was swimming leisurely in the deeper end, the soft silver light from the crystals at the bottom of the spring casting a moon-kissed glow on her dark skin and pale hair.

"Boy am I glad to see a beautiful rose among all the thorns here," smirked Lance. Shiro raised a brow and Pidge snorted in disdain.

"Hello, thorn number one," chuckled Hunk.

"Hey yourself, number two, I'm just a 'T' away from 'horny'," Lance pulled his T-shirt over his head and held it up to emphasize his pun. It went largely ignored.

"The water's lukewarm and pleasant," commented Pidge. "I think the crystals in the rocks at the bottom of the spring attunes to the energy of the users." Hunk joined Pidge in a discussion on how to measure energy that could be transmitted into water by crystals.

"Ugh, you guys don't know how to take a break," groaned Lance. He hopped into the spring next to Shiro. Although he was disappointed that Shiro had a shirt on, it clung to him and he could appreciate the shapely muscles under the wet fabric. Allura was leisurely doing a backstroke in the deeper end. She could tread water and still look graceful, thought Lance.

He leaned back, hooking his arms on the ledge behind him and splashing his legs in the water. The spring had ample space for them to soak in the shallow end and maybe just enough for a short lap in the deep end. Having had to settle for pathetically constricted water tanks back at the Garrison, this place was paradise.

He itched to stretch out and swim but it didn't seem polite with everyone around. Not everyone was comfortable with people shifting shapes. Although the Garrison proclaimed themselves to be Myth-friendly, quite a lot of people loudly voiced disapprovals of physical manifestation of Myth forms, saying it was barbaric and a sign of low-intelligence.

Sightings of the Mer were much more common than other Myths, so 'dumb-Mer' jokes were circulated around pretty often. He remembered having to politely laugh along with some of those jokes his classmates cracked. There was only so many 'How many Mer does it take to change a lightbulb' jokes he could take before it got really old.

He recalled one of the nicer answers being ' _A whole school'._  
  
He sank lower until the water came up to his nose and blew bubbles, trying to push out the negative thoughts that were crowding out the happy ones.

Shiro bumped his shoulder lightly and offered, "You could Manifest if it makes you more comfortable. Everyone here knows you are Mer."

Lance jolted upright. "You figured it out?"

"We all heard you scr—I mean, trill," said Shiro. "That, and I, uh, accidentally overheard Hunk and Pidge talking about you the other day. It sort of came out that everyone knew."

"Right," the brown-haired teen scratched his cheek. "I don't really mean to keep a tight lid on it anyway. But your brother doesn't seem to have a clue, though."

"Hmm," said Shiro. "Is that so?"

"He thought I was a fricking _Banshee_ ," scoffed Lance.

Shiro laughed. "He's never seen a Mer before, so I guess he doesn't know it when he meets one."

"Well then!" Lance stood up and stretched out, "I suppose I'll treat you guys to some eye-candy."

Allura swam over to the shallow end and climbed over to sit on the ledge, soaking her ankles in the water. She had a two-piece bathing suit on—a pearl-pink tank top that showed off her toned mid-riff and gradient-coloured spandex shorts ending just above her knees.

He wondered if she had a fancy princess wardrobe somewhere in her castle with lots of clothing and if he could _have_  a nice fancy princess wardrobe too.

He stretched, a little disappointed that flexing his muscles would do absolutely nothing whatsoever. He felt a twinge of envy as he glanced over at Shiro, whose wet shirt was doing everything for him without the need to flex. Still, he put on a display of dramatically stretching out his shirtless back, hoping at least his beautifully smooth skin would impress someone.

"Mer don't wear clothes, right? I don't mind that but I really don't want to see you _naked_  in your human form if possible," said Pidge, hands covering his eyes.

"I'm not going to strip _here_!" cried Lance, blood rushing up his cheeks. He quickly bit back with a retort, "Not for such an unappreciative audience like yourself!"

He hastily swam over to the deep end, letting himself sink a couple of metres until he hit the bottom. There were varied rocks of different sizes like a garden, with corals and little plants sprouting from the cracks beneath the rocks, lending their colours to the gently glowing crystals embedded in the floor.

Certain he was hidden from view behind some rocks, he took off his shorts and boxers, and tossed them in the general direction of where the others were. His skin hardened and crystalised, scales forming atop it. On his back, his scaled skin grew and parted and a large, thin dorsal fin unfurled along his spine, blooming out like a sail. Light scales decorated the shells of his ear tips and speckled his neck and collar like an elaborate necklace. His legs stretched out and the scales grew out, forming his familiar tail.

He grinned to himself as he planned his grand entrance to the surface. The water tasted sweet on his tongue and filled him with a buzzing energy. He swam a couple of rounds, estimating the space he had for a run-up. There was just the tiniest bit of an updraft he could use. He sped up, and with minimal resistance, broke through the water surface and shot straight up. He gracefully arched his back to turn and drank in the astonished faces of his audience on the way down.

When he surfaced and wriggled his way to the shallow end, he beamed as generous applause washed over him.

"I haven't seen that in a long while, man," enthused Hunk. "Your jumps are amazing as usual."

"Of course," grinned Lance, his back fin flaring up from the attention he was getting, gleefully swishing the water behind him. He dipped and turned in the water, spreading and displaying his tail behind him over the water. He almost trilled when he saw the impressed looks on their faces.

"How do you like my pretty skirt?" He swished his tail above water a little more. Pidge's expression was thoughtful in what he now mentally dubbed a "thinking-sphinx" face. The little nerd was probably calculating water-resistance and stuff based on the new parameters given.

"It's really pretty. I think Keith would definitely love to see you like this," said Shiro.

Lance's smile dropped. "He's some big shot powerhouse Myth. I bet he'll think Merpeople are lame."

"No, he won't," said Shiro confidently. "Look at how impressed we all are."

"Well, I guess I'll grace him with my dazzling form if the chance comes up," shrugged Lance, easily giving in after being all buttered up.

A few more flips and tricks later, the others looked like they've soaked long enough.

"Even my innards are going to wrinkle up if I stay any longer," announced Pidge.

"Pssh, you lightweight raisin," said Lance.

"You can stay as long as you like, buddy," said Hunk. "Shay made sure no one else would come here tonight."

"As long as you turn up on time for training tomorrow," chuckled Allura as she wrapped a towel over herself and left with Pidge and Hunk.

"Good night, Lance," said Shiro, bringing up the rear of his leaving audience.

"You're all raisins," Lance scoffed. He swam over to retrieve his previously abandoned clothing and tossed it onto a rock to dry. At least they left behind one of those fluffy, large towels for him. "Hmph," he muttered to himself. "I'm no raisin. I can stay here all night long."

He sighed, letting himself go to the deep end once more and sink among the rocks, running his webbed hands over the spiny corals and weeds. The water was rapidly cooling after they left, settling down to a temperature more suited for him. As spacious as this underground spring was, it was nothing compared to the vastness and depth of the open sea.  
  


_I miss home._   
  


* * *

Pidge had a breakthrough the next day having managed to use the Galra tech left behind in Balmera to tap into their nearby transmissions.

"There's a Galra stopover station not far where they temporarily store supplies to transport to other bases later. If I can tap into their system over there, I might be able download some information."

Shiro looked over the information at Pidge's workspace in his corner of the control room—he rigged up a lot of equipment with monitors—and asked Pidge if he could find out the specific location where the prisoners were kept.

"From what I could hear, they have some prisoners who will be transported out tomorrow, so we'll have to act fast if we want to rescue them," said Pidge.

"Our priority should be the safety of the prisoners," said Allura.

Pidge nodded. "Okay, so we'll have two tasks: rescue prisoners and grab info off their system."

"Stealth would be best," suggested Shiro. "Even if it's a small station, we don't know the strength of our enemies. I'll go ahead of the rest of you to scout it out and find a spot to land. Are there any pods with a cloaking function?"

"I've already fitted one of them with that but you'll still be detected if you get too close. We should land a little distance away and go in on foot. Have a getaway guy wait for our signal," said Pidge.

"Sounds good," replied Shiro.

"All right. Decide among yourselves your roles and ready to set off in an hour, Paladins," said Allura. "Coran and I will stay behind at the castle. Galra tech may be able to detect dragon energy signatures."

"Right, that," said Pidge. "I'm still working on devices to hide your energy signatures. It'll take a while though. Calibration is tricky."

"No hurry, Pidge," said Coran.

"That means you're our getaway driver," said Lance, snapping his fingers and pointing at Keith.

"Why?" asked Keith.

"We gotta to be like ninjas if it's a rescue mission. Your energy is so strong even I can feel the emo rolling off you from the other side of the castle," said Lance. "So no, you're not a ninja."

"Huh?" Keith's brows knitted together, not knowing to be confused or insulted.

Hunk took pity and translated for the clueless teen, "What he means is that you have a really strong energy residue so if we can sense you, the Galra could too."

"I'd fix you up one of these—" Pidge pointed at the energy-concealer on his collar—"but we don't have the time for that right now."

"Hey," said Shiro, "I know you want to help but we'll be working as a team on this."

Keith sighed and relented, "Okay."  
  


* * *

  
The mission went without complications. Lance took the cameras out with his bayard while Shiro cleared the way to the control room. There were drones and a few robot sentries, but other than that, there wasn't a single Were-beast. Pidge managed to somehow disable the alarms and unlocked the prisons from there.

There were about half a dozen prisoners, all of them sick and injured. Shiro and Lance had to make multiple trips to cart them out on trolleys.

Pidge loaded everything he could find into a memory chip and they bailed out quietly, trying to leave no trail to follow.

Allura greeted the rescued prisoners and led them to the medical bay where the healing pods were. They only had a few working pods so the most ill of them were ushered in to be treated first. The others were given some first aid and brought to the lounge to rest while Coran prepared some guest rooms.

One of the prisoners, a goblin, recognised Shiro as soon as he removed his helmet.

"You're the Champion," gasped the goblin, backing away from Shiro and staying close to Allura. His forehead wrinkles deepend in worry. "Why, how are you here?"

"I escaped," explained Shiro. "Please stay calm. I won't hurt you."

"I saw you attack your friend back there," said the feeble prisoner. "You were shouting for blood in the ring."

"You saw Matt?" interrupted Pidge, striding over to the goblin. "Where is he? The one Shiro attacked."

"I'm afraid I don't know," said the goblin. "They transported him to a different facility afterwards. We were their failed experiments so we were taken away from their main laboratories."

"Did they experiment on him?" asked Pidge, steeling himself to ask the hardest questions.

The goblin shook his head. "He looked fully human so I can't tell. They didn't beat him like they did to us, though. Said something like he was too precious an asset to be killed."

"What sort of experiments did they do on you?" asked Pidge.

"Pidge," gasped Hunk. "You can't just ask that!"

"I'm sorry if I sound harsh," said Pidge to the goblin. "The more we know, the better we can help others like you."

"It's all right," said the goblin. He made his way out from behind Allura and sat down on one of the sofas. Hunk passed him a cup of water and he took it gratefully.

"They injected me with some golden substance and I ended up permanently stuck in my Manifested form," said the weary green man.

Allura's brows wrinkled in worry. "They're experimenting with Quintessence on people."

"Not all of us were compatible with that and some went mad after the experiments," he turned the cup of water in his hands and looked into it as he spoke. "There was a particular one I can never forget—they put her in a glass cell and set her on fire to see if she would Manifest."

Lance and Hunk grimaced at his words. The Galra were a sick, sick people.

"It wasn't the first time they did this, but this one time it was different. She screamed and burned for a long time. It was horrible. Then the fire on her turned red and she started to burn the cell down. They—the Galra druids—smoked the chamber and knocked her out. She was heavily injured but she didn't die."

"Do you know what happened to her afterwards?" asked Shiro. Keith was standing behind the sofa where Shiro sat across the goblin, his knuckles white as he dug his fingers into the leathery fabric of the sofa.

"I heard from another prisoner that he saw her being brought to a gladiator ring. She was completely mad, yelling about things that weren't there, like she was hallucinating. The Galra pit her against a group of Fae. The Fae didn't stand a chance when she burst into flames. She was laughing as she continued to set fire to everyone else in the ring, prisoners and guards alike. Then she herself burnt up and there was nothing left of anyone in the ring but smoke and ash."

"What was she?" asked Hunk. "Was she a..."

"Sounds like a firebird to me," said Pidge. "They only awaken in fire."

The goblin and the rescued prisoners resting in the lounge made varying sounds of fear and shock.

One of them whimpered, "Firebirds! How many prisoners did the Galra have to torture to awaken one..."

"Coran, are the rooms ready?" asked Allura as she took a blanket and wrapped it around the goblin, who gripped and huddled in it.

"Yes, princess," said Coran. "I'll bring them to their rooms."

"Thank you," said Allura. She helped the ex-prisoners to their feet and assured them they were safe here. They were tired and eagerly followed Coran out, not wanting to listen to the discussions any longer.

Once they were gone, Allura motioned for the Paladins to sit down and continue.

"That's terrible," said Hunk, chewing on his lips and rubbing his arms to comfort his unease. "Burning people alive like that." Lance swung an arm over his big friend's shoulder and hugged him.

"Quintessence alone can't create Myths. They must have obtained it directly from a firebird," said Allura.

"They have it," said Keith. "The last known firebird was captured by the Galra many years ago."

"The one who destroyed a whole town," whispered Hunk, absently rubbing his arms. He didn't like the thought of people dying.

"That would make sense," said Pidge. "And it looks like they're close to succeeding. This isn't good."

"Hey, where are you going?" called out Lance when he saw Keith turning towards the door. Keith ignored him and walked out of the room. Allura eyed Shiro, who excused himself and followed his brother out of the door.

Keith didn't stop until they reached the control room. The sliding door closed behind them and Keith let go of a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"I didn't know what it was then, but I think they—" he slumped against a wall and furrowed his brows—"I think I was injected with her Quintessence too. That was probably what it was."

Shiro gently pressed a hand against Keith's arm. He shuddered and steeled himself to continue.

"I wasn't alone. There were others like myself. They kept us locked up and did...things to us." Keith shook his head. "I'm not dead. I've not gone mad. Yet. Does that mean they've succeeded? There...there was someone who helped us escape. She gave us to the Garrison and went back to hold off our pursuers."

Shiro hadn't heard that one. All he had been told by his adoptive parents was that Keith had been rescued by the Garrison from an illegal facility.

Keith looked at Shiro's eyes, trying to read his expression as he confessed his fear, "The attacks years ago? I think they were after me. They were after those of us who escaped. That's why they set fire to the houses. That's why they set fire to—"

"Keith—"

"We should let the others know. They have the right to know if they're fighting the Galra," said Keith. "I...Could you tell them for me?"

"I could," said Shiro softly, "but are you sure?"

"Yes," Keith croaked. He shook his head. "No."

"Allura and Coran already know about you so I'll talk to them. As for the others—you should tell them yourself when you're ready," said Shiro, giving his brother's shoulder a light squeeze. He could feel Keith involuntarily flinch.

Keith had become so used to Shiro's touch the past few years and he would sometimes forget that it hadn't always been this way.

"It'll be okay, little brother," assured Shiro. "You're strong."

"How do you do it?" whispered Keith, his gaze moving to Shiro's arm.

_How do you live with being turned into a monster?_

Shiro smiled at him.

"By seeing you do it first."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long with the latest installment! I'm really grateful for all the support and kudos and comments! Chapter 5 was too long (~17k words) so I split it up into two parts. (Part 2 will be up in a couple of hours after formatting and all~) So I guess I'm kinda like putting up two chapters in a day to make up for the long wait? m(^_^)m  
> I've increased the number of chapters too since I figured I definitely want an epilogue after the final chapter.
> 
> Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIRO!
> 
> My friends and I set up a little birthday altar for him~ :D  
> http://amarukei.tumblr.com/post/157811122318


	6. Fire In The Rain (Part 2)

  
After Keith and Shiro left the room, their discussion trailed off. Pidge and Coran went off to check on the pods while Hunk roped a reluctant Lance into helping him with the laundry. Allura went to talk to the other prisoners in their rooms, discussing possible locations to relocate them.

When dinnertime came round, Coran was enthusiastic about bringing ample helpings of nutritious green goo to their unwell guests. With Coran's attention taken by his mission to provide hospitality and good room service, Hunk took over the kitchen and began brewing coffee. The rich scent of it filled the room and Pidge, leaning heavily over the counter watching Hunk at work, brought up the mic connected to his tablet and made a castleship-wide announcement.

A short while later, Shiro and Keith ran into the dining room, sweaty and panting.

"What's the rush? You could have taken a shower before dinner," complained Pidge, wrinkling up his nose at the two.

"You announced over the comms Hunk's making cinnamon coffee," said Shiro. "We couldn't wait."

"You a coffee junkie too?" said Pidge.

"I'm with coffee,—" he jerked his thumb at Keith— "He's with cinnamon."

A thoughtful look passed Hunk's face as he poured out a cup, which Pidge quickly wrapped his fingers around and carted it off to the dining table.

"You like cinnamon?" asked Hunk.

"Yeah," said Keith.

"He loves it so much that his dream is to own a cinnamon farm," grinned Shiro, punching him lightly in the arm.

Keith kicked him back in the shin. "That was just the one time! And it was a joke."

Pidge laughed.

"Eat your goo," growled Keith, feeling his cheeks burn. He took a plate and dispensed a serving of goo.

"Wait," said Hunk, holding out a hand to stop Keith from going back to the dining table. He took a pinch of cinnamon powder from an inscribed jar and sprinkled it over the goo. Keith's cheeks continued to burn as he brought his spiced goo back to the table. He sat down, stared at it for a second, then dug in voraciously.

When he stood up to get a second helping of the goo, Hunk, without a single word, generously dusted more of that heavenly spice on his goo.

"Thanks," said Keith, giving the big guy a warm smile.

"Anytime," said Hunk. He poured some of the contents of his jar into a small shaker and placed it on the dining table alongside the salt and pepper. Keith eyed it the whole time as he ate.

"Oh boy," giggled Pidge. "Is this true love?"

"Don't pick on people for liking their food," said Hunk, setting down another cup of sweetened coffee in front of Pidge, who stopped his teasing in favour of deeply inhaling the coffee fumes.

"I thank Hunk for this blessing upon my tastebuds," said Pidge, raising his hands in praise before slurping noisily at the cup. "This is really so, so, good. There's this minty sweet taste that just goes so well with the cream and the subtle touch of cinnamon is just perfect. You're a genius, Hunk."

"I'd be sure to ask you for a review when I publish my own cookbook," chuckled Hunk. He turned to Keith and Shiro and asked, "Do you want yours with cream and sugar?"

"Yes to both for me," said Shiro.

Keith shook his head, not caring about the coffee. His eyes followed the cinnamon shaker as Hunk took it and sprinkled the brown powder over Shiro's cup of creamy drink.

"Do you want to try?" asked Shiro, pushing the cup over to Keith. Keith narrowed his eyes and tentatively took a sip, then pushed it back to Shiro.

"Too much cream," he said, licking the white froth off his lips.

Shiro took a sip. "I think it's perfect."

"That's because it was made for you," said Hunk, wiping his hands on a dishcloth and making a creamy coffee for himself with a pinch of something that sparkled yellow under the light.

"What's that you're adding to your coffee?" asked Pidge.

"Balmeran rock salt," grinned Hunk. "It's the best salt in the world."

"I want to try!" Pidge raised his hand, holding out his empty cup.

"That was your third cup, dude. You shouldn't drink so much," said Hunk. "I'll put some in the cooler and you can have it in the morning, 'kay?"

"Fine," grumbled Pidge, slumping his head on the table, yawning despite the coffee. He had a long day working on the pods and the energy-concealing devices. He toyed the cup in his fingers, trying to lick the last drops from the bottom of his cup.

Hunk set a cup of honeyed black coffee with a stick of cinnamon in it and set it in front of Keith.

"You can try if you want to," said Hunk.

Keith sipped at it carefully. It would be scalding to anyone else but it was perfect for him. He took a large gulp and let the warmth settle in his belly. Shiro was making small talk with Hunk about coffee beans and he watched them. He liked this warm feeling. Shiro and Hunk were warm people. Pidge was small, but he was warm too, especially when he was asleep.

The coffee was particularly warm. He took another large gulp, draining the small cup and then sticking the coffee-soaked cinnamon stick in his mouth to chew on.

"Where's Lance?" asked Shiro, noticing they were short of one Paladin for dinner. "Is he late?"

"Nah, he ate earlier. He somehow managed to get the Balmerans to let him use their spring at night so now he's back there swimming," said Hunk.

"You mean 'skinny-dipping'," said Pidge lazily.

"Please don't say that," groaned Hunk. "Now I cannot get that image out of my head."

"If I have to suffer, everyone else has to," stated Pidge.

"Why don't you go too?" suggested Shiro, nudging Keith's plate with his spork.

Keith raised a brow at Shiro. "Skinny dipping?"

"Not you too, Keith!" gasped Hunk.

"Why would I want to see Lance—"

"He's not naked," Shiro cut him off before his brother can cluelessly embarrass himself. "I mean, he is, but he's in his Myth form, so, uh..."

"If anything, the springs are quite beautiful to look at," said Hunk, directing away the awkwardness Shiro brought upon himself.

"Lance is objectively pretty to look at too when he's swimming," said Pidge.

"Go breathe in some fresh air," suggested Shiro.

"Or drink some fresh 'water'," added Pidge. Shiro visibly paled a notch and Keith chewed harder on his cinnamon stick.

"Pidge, no," groaned Hunk. "Why did you bring it up again?"

"Because I am still suffering and my misery demands your company," said Pidge. "Give me coffee or give me death."

"Tomorrow, Pidge," insisted Hunk.

Keith finished the rest of his goo, chucked the plate into one of those strange Altean dish-washing machines and quickly left the room. He stepped out of the castle, taking in the fresh, earthy scent on the wind and thought he'd do a quick patrol around the castle.

Better out here than to put up with Shiro and the others saying more embarrassing things. About Lance. He didn't care for Lance. He was annoying and always assumed things. He was loud but knew how to blend in like a chameleon when he wanted to. He strove to irritate the shit out of people around him but at the same time knew how to make them laugh. He annoyed Keith to no end with his words, and yet Keith couldn't stop listening.

Lance was complicated.

He wondered how the team would react if he told them that he was an ex-Galra experimental subject. He wasn't worried what Pidge and Hunk would think. They had their own motives for being here and whatever opinion they had of him wouldn't deter them from their goals. They wouldn't leave over something like this.

But no one knew why Lance was here. He couldn't possibly know how Lance would react.

Keith finished patrolling the perimeter of the castle but his thoughts weren't clearing up. His feet took him down the mines. He wandered the tunnels for a while until a Balmeran pointed him the way to the springs. After all that talk about the spring, he was curious to see for himself if it was as pretty as the others claimed it to be.

He entered the spacious cave, letting his eyes adjust to the dimmer light of the lamps hanging on the wall. There was barely a ripple on the water. _Has Lance left already?_

He caught sight of the towel and clothes on the rocks and then settled his eyes back to the water, watching the light reflect off the clear surface. Curiosity got the better of him and he got closer and knelt, leaning over the edge to dip his fingers into the water. The cool water around his fingers began to warm up. It didn't feel right, like a strange buzz going up his hand. He backed away and settled a little further from the water where he felt more comfortable.

 

* * *

 

From the water, Lance's sharp eyes could see the shape of Keith wander in. He wondered if someone tipped emo-boy off about Lance being Mer. He let his eyes followed Keith and watched him finally settle down a few steps from the water's edge.

An idea crossed his mind and he smirked to himself. The best defense was a good offense. He'd get the first strike on the instruder.

He propelled himself towards the shallow end, quietly heaved himself over the edge with his arms and slithered next to Keith in one swift motion.

"Boo."

Keith yelped in surprise at the serpent-like creature suddenly next to him and scrambled to his feet. He whipped out his dagger and curled his lips back in a snarl.

Lance waved at him and laughed, "Man, you should've seen your face!"

Keith blinked as he recognised the voice. "Lance?"

"The one and only. You can put away your pointy dagger now."

Keith stood there and stared, trying to comprehend that this half-fish Myth he was seeing was the same tall, lanky loud-mouthed Garrison cadet that annoyed him to no end. His eyes traced the sprinkling of blue and turquoise scales on Lance's collar down his arms and his hips where the tail began. His tail was long and hung over the edge, its tip swishing the edge of the shallow water.

Lance rolled his eyes and Keith noticed they were brighter than usual.

"What are you staring at? Never seen a merman before?"

"What the hell, Lance," said Keith as the adrenaline of being surprised wore off. The tension dropped from his shoulders as he released his defensive stance and sheathed his dagger behind him. "You shouldn't have done that. I could have stabbed you."

Lance huffed and bared his teeth in reply. He wasn't scared of one tiny pointy dagger. Keith shuddered at the sight of his sharp teeth and Lance felt a little more satisfied. Sitting on hard ground on a tail too long made his ass sore. He rolled over and slithered back into the water.

He thought Keith would up and leave but instead he approached the water. Lance scooped some water with his tail and flicked it at Keith.

"Stop that, you ass!" Keith spluttered, shielding his face with his arm.

"Stupid Keith," hissed Lance.

"What the hell," growled Keith. He took off his jacket and shook the water off. Leaving it over the ground to dry, he sat down cross-legged and hunched over, leaning his chin on the palms of his hands. He didn't leave, and instead stared aimlessly at the water rippling as Lance swam around.

Lance wasn't going to let Keith's presence spoil his enjoyment. He stretched out his back fin and cleaned lazily, humming through his gills as he picked out the dirt under his scales. When he was done, he checked over his tail for tears and cracks. Satisfied that it was well-maintained, he played around and flipped out of the water like a dolphin, trying to achieve a nice arc.

Keith had been so quiet he had almost forgot that the sullen teen was there until he spoke up.

"Could you do that again?" said Keith, his voice soft and eager.

"What?" smirked Lance. He swam in a circle and flipped again. "This?"

"Yeah," said Keith. "That's pretty cool."

"This is nothing," snorted Lance. "Watch this." He performed a high backflip into the air, similar to the one he did the day before for his friends.

Keith's eyes widened and leaned forward, craning his neck to watch Lance twist in mid-air and gracefully dive back into the water head-first.

Lance popped his head out of the water and ran his fingers through his hair, shrugging. "I can usually go higher but the water's here kinda shallow so—"

"Again?"

"Geez, I'm not your..." said Lance, trailing off when he saw Keith's deep violet eyes trained on him, hungrily following his every movement.

Keith seemed to realise that sounded a little rude and quickly added, "If that's okay with you."

"Well," Lance folded his arms and pouted lightly at him. "I guess I could, if you ask nicely."

"Please," tried Keith.

"Hmm. If you insist," said Lance, letting a grin break over his face and fell back into the deeper waters.

He wiggled his back fin, rippling the water like an oar to give himself more speed as he took his time with the run up. Then he shot straight out of the water, fins and arms tucked tight against his slender body, streamlined to reach higher than before. His long tail cleared the water with space to spare; his form still and quiet without a single movement wasted. He arched back, almost boneless, and added a backward flip in the air before diving headfirst back into the water with hardly a splash. It was a pretty difficult trick that took him years of practise.

Keith was staring with his mouth open, holding his breath in awe.

Lance burst out into laughter and let loose a trill from the back of his throat, letting it vibrate warmly in his chest. It earned him another astonished look from his rival.

"What's that sound?" asked Keith.

Lance let loose another mirth-filled trill. He had never seen such expressions on Keith's face before tonight and it was a treat and challenge to tease out more of those faces out of him.

"That was the sound of me laughing at your silly mullet," giggled Lance.

Keith frowned and pulled back from Lance. The merman decided that cutting back on the insults would be better and invested in more conversation.

"Well, it's like trilling your tongue, just that it's all the way at the back of your throat," he explained.

"So it's purring? Like a cat?" Keith cocked his head. Lance could see the gears turning in the dark-haired boy's head.

Lance raised a brow at him and replied flatly, "No, like a fish."

Keith blinked, not getting the joke.

"Eh, scratch that," said Lance, resting his elbows on the edge of the shallow end. "So, what do you think of my tail?" He swayed it side to side, letting the light play off the different angles.

Keith was staring again, his eyes following the movement of the tail. Lance thought it was rather endearing.

"It's shiny," said Keith. "And mostly blue."

"Now you're just stating facts," groaned Lance.

"I can't—how are you like this?"

"Excuse you. Baby, I was born this way," said Lance, his references going over the sullen youth's head. He settled for swishing his tail up and down to see if Keith's eyes would move with it. They did.

"That's not what I—" Keith threw his hands up and dropped them, groaning in exasperation. "I mean, I wish I could be like this too."

"You want to be like me?" said Lance, his voice tightening at the end. Why would Keith even say such a thing? The emo-mullet had everything: talent, good looks and a perfect brother. The last thing Keith would want to be would be him, wouldn't it?

"Maybe," sighed Keith.

"Why would you want that?"

"You swim well. You have good control."

"Control in swimming?"

"No," Keith shook his head and pointed at Lance's tail. "Your Manifestation."

"It just comes naturally?" said Lance. "I guess Mer forms are easy to get used to."

"Do all Mer look like you?" said Keith.

"Of course not. Only I look like me," scoffed Lance. He recalled Keith mentioning earlier that he couldn't control fire. Maybe some Myths had a harder time with their forms. Still, he envied the amount of power Keith must have to have dealt such damage to the training room. His arms were still sore from all that cleaning.

"So, are you like, a Chimera or something? Those are pretty rare but I heard they've got some big firepower."

Keith narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze, "I don't really want to talk about me."

"Well, if we're not going to talk about you, we could talk about me?" suggested Lance.

"Should I be encouraging this?" said Keith, glad for the change of topic.

"Then what do you suggest we talk about?"

"If there's nothing to talk about. We could just...not talk?" suggested Keith.

"Pshh, there's always something to talk about," said Lance. "If we don't talk, then how are we supposed to get to know each other better, huh?"

"Now you sound like Shiro," grumbled Keith.

"Comparing me to Shiro? Aww, I'm so flattered. You know people would kill to have a brother like that, yeah?" said Lance. He wondered if Keith knew how lucky he was to have Shiro.

"He's...okay," shrugged Keith. "What about you? Do you have any brothers?"

 _Ungrateful brat_ , thought Lance. He humoured Keith anyway.

"Nope," said Lance. "I have two older sisters and a younger one. I'm your typical stuck-in-the-middle child."

"That's a lot of siblings," said Keith. An amused smile growing on his face. Lance noticed a dimple on one side of his cheek. There was a twinkling in his eyes as he pressed on. "Tell me about your family?"

Lance scoffed. "It'll take the whole night and I'll only have covered up to my nephew."

"You have a nephew?" Keith asked after a little too quickly.

Lance gaped. Was Keith actually interested in his family?

Keith drew back. "Uh, shouldn't have asked, sorry."

"No, it's okay," Lance found himself wondering why on earth Keith would apologise for asking something so innocuous as whether if he had family members. He decided to observe Keith's face as he talked about his adorable nephew and niece.

"I have a nephew and a niece: Martin and Isabela. They're my eldest sis's kids. Totally boring names, I know. I mean, Lamia could've called them 'Merry and Pippin' or 'Luke and Leia', but no, she just had to stick to the boring stuff. Anyway, Martin's a real angel. He cleans up after himself and he's only five—can you believe that? Isabela's the one you got to watch out for. She a little imp obsessed with cornflakes: a serial cereal stealer," grinned Lance, happy at his included pun.

Lance knew he was an expressive talker. He talked with his hands, with his fins and with his tail. He thought he'd be more self-conscious with Keith looking at his Myth form, but instead of judging him, Keith started to look away as Lance talked about the one time he pranked his niece by filling all her socks with cornflakes. The quiet boy's violet eyes darkened a shade; his lashes fluttered as his gaze flickered to stare blankly at the ground. His head was tilted a little to angle an ear to him and Lance knew Keith was listening.

He was a little like Luna, his youngest sister, who, when something had her rapt attention, would shut her eyes to focus on listening, something that others would misunderstand as her not paying attention. Lance knew better. He knew his Luna.

He didn't know Keith.

But he knew right now that Keith was doing what Luna did. Turning away his eyes and giving him his ears just to listen to Lance ramble on about his family.

He had Keith's full attention and it felt strange.

He wondered if Keith had ever listened to him like this in the past. He remembered there was once, back at the Garrison, when he was talking to a classmate about how much he loved flying, he had caught sight of Keith staying very still in the back of the class, head tilted his way. He never thought much of that, since Keith's eyes had been closed, his chin resting on his hand. Keith always looked like he wasn't interested in anything in class, never giving much of a reply and generally being unsociable. Had he ever listened? Lance wanted to know.

"Do you remember me?" Lance blurted out. "Back at the Garrison?"

Keith turned his gaze back to Lance's face at the question.

 _Oops, sorry about stopping story-time short_ , thought Lance, almost regretting his change in topic.

"Yeah," said Keith. "You were in some of my classes."

"You mean you were in _my_  classes," said Lance. Why did Keith always have to pick a fight with him? "Anyway, we were rivals, yeah? I mean, I did beat you on the class tests."

"I didn't sit for them," said Keith.

"A win is a win," said Lance. "How do you even get to stay on when you flunk all your tests anyway?"

"I'm exempted from the tests," said Keith.

"What?" Lance was outraged. Keith looked startled at Lance's reaction as if he didn't deserve it. How many more silver spoons did this elite have in his mouth?

"I was training with the third and fourth years," explained Keith, his hands coming up to wave in an almost defensive manner.

"What training?" Lance was puzzled now. Suddenly there seemed to be so much more to Keith he didn't know.

"The standard stuff?" Keith raised a brow. "Like, combat and drills?"

"But you're a first year!" said Lance. "What the hell! That's totally cheating. How could you skip ahead like that?"

"I didn't skip anything. I'd been with the Garrison since I was twelve," said Keith.

"What?!" exclaimed Lance, his tail loudly splashing the water behind him in surprise. His voice reverberated through the cave and Keith winced at the merman's sudden loud voice. Then there was a few seconds of silence before Lance spoke again, thankfully at a lower volume, "So...you're actually a super-duper senior?"

"Super-duper senior..." repeated Keith. A laugh caught in his nose and he made an ugly snorting sound that Lance thought was pretty funny. The dimple was there again, and Lance wanted to poke at it, but refrained from doing so because knowing Keith, he'd probably take out his pointy dagger again. He settled for conversation instead.

"Given the number of years you've been there and that you're still taking first-year classes, does that mean your progress is actually pretty slow?" inferred Lance, flicking a pebble at him.

Keith flicked a pebble back at Lance's arm. "Shut up. I'm just glad I'm out of there."

"You were really stuck there for a long time, huh," Lance flicked a pebble back again.

"Yeah," said Keith, not giving up on the pebble flicking. "I wasn't allowed to leave the Garrison."

"And you were too dumb to sneak out," said Lance, sweeping pebbles with his hand and brushing them towards Keith's legs.

"I'm not!" growled Keith, kicking at the small mound of pebbles. "I sneaked out all the time."

"I bet I sneaked out more times than you."

"Is everything a competition to you?"

"With you it is," huffed Lance. He pushed back into the water, letting the water wet his drying skin.

"Why?" Keith asked, exasperated.

"Figure it out yourself," said Lance. He flipped around and hooked Keith's waist with the flat of his tail fin and slapped him into the water.  
  
Keith spluttered as he sat in the knee-deep water. He swallowed and choked on a mouthful of the water and coughed. He splashed the water with his arms in frustration and then stood up. He had been feeling a little buzzed but now the feeling was heavier than that—his head throbbed and his heart seemed to be beating too hard, too fast. He made his way out of the water and pressed a hand against the near wall for support.

Lance noticed it and quickly flopped onto the ground. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm going back," he said. "See you tomorrow."

"Wait up," said Lance. "I'm heading back too."

Keith was already out of the cave. Lance shifted back and pulled on his shorts, tucking the boxers into his pocket and hastily throwing the towel over his shoulders.

Keith's fingers trailed along the wall of the tunnel for support as he walked, swaying like a tipsy drunk. Lance caught up in no time. Keith didn't seem okay. He could see yellow edging into his pupils as his chest rose and fell with effort.

"You look sick," said Lance, holding out a hand. "Need help?"

Keith slapped the offered hand away and hissed, "Go away!"

"I'm just trying to help, jerk."

Keith could feel the energy in him heating up and demanding to be released. His back felt hot, like it's about to burn. He needed to leave. There was no space to direct his flames in the narrow tunnels. He had to keep it in. He steeled himself and walked faster. A haze of gold was clouding his vision and he knew he was going to Manifest.

 _Down this tunnel, turn right, get to the elevator, up and out._  He held himself tighter as he marched unsteadily.  
  
An arm suddenly touched him from behind. Keith tensed up and something in him _pulsed_.

"Don't be stupid. Just let me help you back to—Ow!"

Keith scrambled away from him as crimson flames bit into Lance's arm.

"Fuck!" cursed Lance as he tried to pat the fire out with his towel. The towel caught on fire too and he had to throw it onto the ground. The flames on his arm refused to subside and he trilled in fear, a sharp, discordant sound of desperation.

Keith's vision went red. Shiro's arm covered in blood-red fire. Long white scars on Shiro's arm. Guilt for feeling relieved that metal replaced those scars reminding him of his mistake.

_No, not Shiro. Lance. Lance is burning._

He shook and trembled as he ran. Fire was leaking out of him, taking over his back and shoulders. He ran to the large lift and the ground began to char where he stood. The elevator would burn before it could reach the top. He couldn't stay here.

 _He can still be saved. Get Allura. She can help Lance. Go get Allura now_.

Crimson flames flared out from his back and he bit down hard as it burned through his skin.

_Control it. Direct it. Out. Around. Don't let it loose. Don't let go._

The flames took the shape of wings and propelled by energy and wind, Keith flew up the tunnel and into the open sky.

Lance cried as the fire travelled up his arm, sinking their crimson fangs into his skin. He manifested scales to form to stop the flames from eating into his flesh as he rolled in the sand beneath him. The fire subsided but the searing heat continued to travel up past his elbow, a slow trail of red crawling up his upper arm before finally giving out.

He curled up on the ground, panting hard as his mind processed the sharp, searing pain that throbbed with every breath. He had lowered his body temperature but the red streaks on his arm still felt hot to the touch. Some Balmerans had heard his cries and had come, kneeling around him. The sharpness of the pain dulled a little as someone pressed a cool, wet towel to his arm and told him they would fetch him someone from the castle.

Minutes passed, and he was able to sit up. Shay was here now, tending to him and trickling cold water over the burn on his arm. There was a trail of still smoking earth that stretched out all the way down the tunnel that Keith left behind.

"Shit shit shit, it hurts so much," whimpered Lance. If he hadn't shielded his muscles with his scales, the crimson fire might have burned through them.  
  


* * *

  
The castle alarms blared and checking the cameras, Allura saw Keith trying to enter the castle, only to hastily retract his actions when his fire scorched the wall covering and triggered the alarm. He yelled for Allura and Shiro.

Allura ran out, ready to create rain to put out his fire, but Keith pointed at the mines.

"Help Lance," he pleaded.

Hunk gasped and quickly ran towards the elevator. Allura nodded to Shiro, who quickly followed Hunk down.

Balmerans emerged from the elevator and were staring as the fire around Keith began to spread and scorch a large swatch of ground around him.

"That one is hurting the land," yelled one of the Balmerans. "Make that one stop!"

Allura held up a hand to stop them from approaching and took dragon form once more, gathering storm clouds over the damaged earth.

Through the fire and rain, Keith could see Lance stepping out of the elevator, Hunk supporting him. He was gripping his hurt arm and his face was scrunched up in pain, but he was walking.

_Lance is okay. Hunk will get him to a pod. He'll be okay._

Keith gritted his teeth as Allura's rain stripped off his flames. The chill of the water and the stinging pain on his back cleared his head. He couldn't go on like this. He couldn't help anyone if all he did was lose control.

The rain felt cooler on his skin now his fire was doused. The water eased some of the pain where it touched and he wished it could go on forever.

"Hey," came Shiro's voice. Keith's yellow eyes widened and he instinctively growled.

_No, no, don't come closer!_

"Hey, little brother," said Shiro, approaching slowly.

_Go away. I don't want to hurt you._

"It's okay, Keith," said Shiro.

He slowly reached out and carefully slid an arm under Keith's to support him. "Just breathe with me, buddy. You're going to be fine," he said, keeping his voice low and soft. He held his arm steady around the younger man and waited.

"Shiro," came Keith's cracked voice. "Lance?"

"Hunk's bringing him to the med bay," said Shiro. "Let's go there too, okay?"

Keith nodded. He had to make sure Lance would heal. As he moved, the skin on his back felt like it was tearing. He had enough adrenaline to make it back without Shiro's help but the metal arm around his ribs were firm and unyielding as they guided him back to the castle.  
  


* * *

  
Lance sat on the stairs, waiting for his turn in the pod. The prisoners they rescued occupied the three working pods they had. Hunk was by his side, a hand pressing the side of the lanky boy's head to his broad chest, chanting a string of soothing words.

Lance watched as Shiro brought in the cause of his injury and tensed up, causing Hunk to bring his other hand up and pat his lap comfortingly.

"Hunk, how's his temperature?" asked Coran.

"Normal. Actually, a little colder than usual because he's Manifesting," said Hunk, pointing at Lance's scaly webbed hand to prove his point. "How's Keith?"

"Not so good, but he'll be okay," sighed Shiro, helping Keith to sit on the stairs opposite Hunk and peeling off the remains of burnt fabric from his skin. There were two long deep, dark streaks on his back, the skin around it mottled red and black, cracking and bleeding with movement.

Coran scanned him with his device and hummed disapproval. "His temperature and energy readings are still too high. We should wait for it to go down a bit before we put him a pod. Hunk, get Lance in first when a pod frees up."

Pidge rushed into the room, his hair sticking out in different directions.

"Why was the alarm—woah! What happened to you?" asked Pidge, looking between Lance and Keith.

"Yeah, what exactly happened down there?" asked Hunk, keeping his voice gentle and undemanding.

"I lost control," said Keith, his voice getting softer as he spoke. "I—I hurt Lance."

"Can you recall what happened just before that?" asked Coran.

Keith hunched his shoulders, trying to curl into himself. "I fell into the spring. Then I felt dizzy. There was this...pressure building up and I was trying hard to keep something from bursting out. Then Lance—" he paused for a second and frowned—"he touched me and I burned him."

"That makes sense," said Allura. "The spring water is infused with energy from the crystals. Since your energy was unstable to begin with, giving you an energy boost made it even harder for you to control."

Lance felt a twinge of guilt eat at him. He was the one who pushed Keith into the spring. He had insisted on touching Keith when he was told to go away. He felt Hunk rub his warm palm over the side of his head, comforting him. One of the prisoners came out of the pod and Allura took over and directed them to the guest rooms.

Hunk got up and heaved Lance up, putting him in the pod.

"See you in a sec, buddy," said Hunk.

"Yeah," croaked Lance. The pod door slid shut and the healing process began.

Coran checked the readings on the pod and gave the others a thumbs-up.

Reassured, Keith stood up and left the room and Shiro followed.

"Keith?" ventured Shiro. The doors to the medical bay slid shut behind them.

"I'm not getting in a pod," said Keith.

"It's not your fault," said Shiro. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"I'll heal. I always have. The prisoners need the pods more."

Shiro met the shorter man's stubborn gaze and knew nothing could budge him now.

"Three days," Shiro understood just as much as Keith what guilt felt like. "The prisoners we rescued should be all healed by then. You get into the pod after they're done, okay?"

The dark-haired teen hung his head low and stared at the floor.

"Keith?"

"...Okay."  
  


* * *

  
When Lance popped out of the pod an hour later, Hunk and Pidge were waiting for him.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hunk, wrapping Lance up in a quilted blanket packed from their dorm room. Good ol' Hunk always knew what was best. Hunk's grandmother had made them matching blankets with charms sewn in them and Lance figured it made the blankets extra soft and warm. He stretched out his arm and other than a little soreness, there was nothing left of the burn.

"Sleepy," said Lance. He yawned loudly, which infected Pidge, who yawned and muttered an almost incoherent 'since you're fine, I'm going to sleep' to him and left the med bay.

"Glad you're fine, my boy," chirped Coran, who took a scrubbing brush and a rag and began a quick clean of the pod. Hunk checked over his arm as he watched Coran then usher a coughing ex-prisoner into the pod he vacated.

Lance peeked into the other pods, which had two emancipated rescued prisoners in it and no Keith. The prisoners would take at least a full day in the pod since their bodies were weakened from years of being imprisoned by the Galra. Decontaminating and cleaning the pod after them took ages as well.  
  
_Cleaning the—_  
  
Lance pointed a finger at Coran and gasped, "You didn't clean the pod before I went in!"  
  
"Oh, it must have slipped my mind!" said Coran, quickly turning to inspect the pods as he whistled innocently.  
  
"Sorry, Lance," said Hunk, twiddling his thumbs sheepishly. "It slipped my mind too."

"Ugh, fine. I'll let you off the hook if you make me the best iced tea," negotiated Lance, knowing Hunk secretly loved any excuse to flex his culinary chops. "By the way, where's Keith?"

"Yeah, where's he? I thought he'd be waiting for Lance's pod," added Hunk.

"He said he doesn't want to use it," said Coran, stroking his moustache thoughtfully. "I suppose the boy needs a little time to calm down."  


* * *

  
Lance didn't see Keith the rest of the night.  
  
When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Keith shrouded by a white fog as crimson flames turned the relentless rain into steam. The flames fanned behind his back like wings; waves of heat pulsed through the air with every movement. He had locked eyes with him for a split second, and the anger and despair in those golden eyes burned him more than the crimson fire could.

He woke up crying, feeling empty like the day the Kerberos mission was announced a failure.  
  


* * *

  
Training resumed the following morning without mercy. The rest of them glanced over to Keith every now and then, but other than him being quieter and crankier than usual, he followed the pace of the training just fine.

Shiro was always by his side, hovering like a mother hen. By lunchtime, Keith had had enough and began to go out of his way to avoid talking to Shiro.

They had combat training with gladiators after that and Keith didn't seem to be bothered by his injuries. Instead, he fought with an untamed ferocity, stepping in to block fearlessly. His steps were sloppy and he crashed more than once into the ground. Shiro had all of them practising footwork when he messed up the third time. They took a break and broke off into pairs for sparring practise.

"Lance?" asked Shiro when his partner stumbled and lost focus as Keith left the room to another room to train with Allura. "You okay?"

"Sorry!" chirped Lance. "I was just distracted."

"You look tired," observed Shiro. "Didn't sleep well?"

"Yeah," said Lance. "Bad dream."

"Keith didn't mean to hurt you, you know that, right?" Shiro tried to throw it out casually.

"I know it was an accident," said Lance. "Though I'm not gonna forgive him until he apologises."

Shiro chuckled. "It might take a while, but I assure you he feels bad about it."

"Really," said Lance dryly. He threw a punch at Shiro whose hand was already in position to blocked his fist.

"Dang, I can never catch you off guard," huffed Lance. He regained his stance and practised the motions he learnt earlier while Shiro blocked and dodged. "Must be all those years of training, huh. Keith mentioned he was at the Garrison since he was twelve. How did that happen?"

"Our parents who adopted us worked for the Garrison," said Shiro.

"Military parents, huh. Sounds tough," said Lance.

"We had a training schedule to follow," said Shiro. "It's no different from cadet life, I guess."

"It sounds like they adopted you to so they could turn you into soldiers," said Lance.

"Actually, yes," said Shiro. "At least it was, in my case. My biological parents passed me to my adoptive parents when I did well in the Garrison's aptitude tests."

"Woah," said Lance. "I'm sorry if it's uh, inappropriate to ask."

"No offense taken. Besides, it wasn't that bad," mused Shiro, adjusting Lance's shoulders to correct his stance. "Having a regular routine was pretty good for us. Especially Keith. He didn't exactly have an easy childhood."

Lance was beginning to feel sorry for Keith until he saw the skulking emo avoid him at dinnertime and retracted all his mental offers of sympathy.  
  


* * *

  
"Guys," said Pidge that evening, beckoning everyone to crowd around his workstation in the control room, "I've located a Galra facility we should check out."

"One of the prisoners told us he was transported to a facility not far from the gladiator rings."

"There's quite a lot of residue of other Myths' energy on him," said Hunk. "They must've injected him with their Quintessence. It's kinda hard to hide that much varied energy even if they had energy-concealing technology, which they don't seem to have. We've narrowed it down to a few areas."

"We can guess that they're experimenting with Myths there. Given the distance between the two places, Maybe Matt was held there too," said Pidge. He pulled up a map and pointed at the spots marked out on the map.

"Here," Shiro tapped at one of the spots. "An old Garrison facility used to be here until they moved away after the Galra's attack on Altea Sanctuary."

"It's not far from Altea Sanctuary," said Hunk.

"The Garrison doesn't do things by chance," said Keith. "They built a base there passing it off as a academic research facility when what they wanted to do was spy on Altean technology."

"Is this another one of your conspiracy theories?" said Lance, raising a brow at him.

"What's it to you?" said Keith, looking away from Lance. Nevermind an apology, Lance couldn't even get a decent conversation out of the cranky teen.

"The prisoner said most of them were moved out of the facility with him. I've scanned the radio frequencies of those locations but there's nothing, so the place might be deserted for all we know," said Pidge.

"It's still worth checking it out if we can find clues that'll lead us to Matt's whereabouts," said Shiro. "We'll head there as soon as you can finish the energy-concealers for us."

Pidge nodded grimly. A cold trail was still a trail nonetheless.  


* * *

  
The energy-concealers were already installed in their paladin suits but it would take at least two days to calibrate them to their wearers and not affect their bayard activation.

Lance hadn't slept well for two days in a row now and it was affecting his aim and his skin. He knew he needed to do something to get those dreams out of his system. Maybe getting Keith to apologise to him might do the trick, he figured. First, he had to get Keith to stop ignoring him.

It wasn't easy as Keith seemed intent on avoiding him. After morning training, he'd managed to walk in Keith changing his bandages and the injured man had scowled so darkly Lance backed out of the room immediately, his gill-feeling telling him it wasn't a good idea to approach Keith in a vulnerable state.

Meal-time seemed like a good time to try and initiate talk, except that Keith ate really fast and Lance was usually late for meals except the one time he went to the spring. And that one time led to him getting burnt. He supposed it was a bad idea to be early.

The paladins headed to the dining room together after their pre-lunch training, but Lance had to go for a quick bathroom trip. When he got to the dining room, Keith was already licking goo off his plate.

"Why are you licking your plate? The goo doesn't taste that good!" gasped Lance.

"Good condiments can change everything," stated Hunk, who was at the table spicing his serving of green goo with salt, pepper and cheese. He passed a pack of grated cheese to Pidge and Shiro who gratefully sprinkled it over their own plates.

Keith stood up and made to leave.

"Hey, where are—" began Lance.

The violet-eyed man was out of the door before Lance could continue.

"Damn," said Lance, giving up for the day and sitting down beside Hunk. "What's his problem anyway?"

"Maybe he's just cranky because his back hurts," shrugged Hunk. "I can feel that he's suppressing his energy when you're around, though."

"How do you notice these things, bro?" said Lance, impressed.

"And your energy spikes when you're near him," pointed out Hunk. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am," said Lance. He knew what Hunk meant. He could still feel phantom pain tingling up his arm when he saw Keith. The crimson fire hurt like a dagger, not a burn. If Keith had stayed there, he could have burnt Lance to ashes. He shuddered at the thought and rubbed his arm absently. He forced himself to swallow spork after spork of the goo, filling his stomach, but that empty feeling wouldn't go away.

That night, he dreamt. He cried again.  
  


* * *

  
The next day, he continued to be unsuccessful in trying to catch Keith alone. Even Hunk saw he was tired and offered to go with him to the spring but the thought of being there brought up images of him talking with Keith happily one moment and being batshit on fire the next. He lost appetite and barely poked at his food.

After lunch, Shiro took him aside while the rest went on their individual tasks.

They went to the lounge, which Lance preferred to the training room because it meant Shiro didn't want to talk to him about his poor training results.

"Uhh, if it's about all the hot water being gone this morning, it's not my fault the heater stopped working," said Lance.

He cocked a brow. "So it was you who used up all the hot water this morning."

"Eheheh," said Lance, backing away.

"Sit down, Lance," said Shiro. "Please. I just want to chat."

The ex-senior officer seemed to read Lance's mind and he sat on the end of the couch nearer to the door, motioning for the lanky teen to make himself comfortable.

"Uh...so, what are we going to _chat_  about?"

"Are you okay?" asked Shiro, his face full of concern. "You look like you've not been sleeping well."

Lance ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "It's nothing. I think I was just a little shaken up from all that's happening the past week."

Shiro nodded. "I understand."

There was a pause before he cleared his throat and said, "I think there's something you should know."

"Know what?" asked Lance.

"My arm," said Shiro. "The Galra replaced it because it was already weak from an old injury. I know how it's like to be burnt, Lance. It's okay to be scared."

Lance looked at the metal arm, "What happened?"

"It was an accident," said Shiro. "Keith was only twelve."

"Holy shit," said Lance. He remembered the time when he accidentally slapped Luna off an inflated boat with his tail and how she almost drowned. The guilt ate at him for ages and he had been extra careful around her until she got fed up and yelled at him to stop treating her like she was made of glass.

Did Keith feel this way too? Did he beat himself up over injuring Shiro? He had been so young, only twelve—

"Wait a minute," said Lance, realising something. "Didn't he go to the Garrison at twelve? Did the accident happen before he enrolled?"

Shiro shook his head. "We moved into the Garrison dorms after our parents died. He only officially started training with the other cadets two years after that. The accident happened during his first training mission with me. On the record, he enrolled in the Garrison at seventeen like the rest of you. Strictly speaking, we never needed to since we belonged to the Garrison all along."

"So that explains how he didn't even need to take the entrance tests," said Lance. "But isn't all that like, 'underage-illegal'?"

"Our parents were Garrison officers who took us in on the orders from the higher-ups. So in a way, we were adopted by the Garrison itself," said Shiro.

"That sounds really screwed up, if you ask me," said Lance. "No wonder Keith's so pissy when it comes to the Garrison."

Shiro chuckled. "Yeah, he doesn't like them very much."

"You seem pretty cool with it, though? I mean, you signed up for the Kerberos mission and all," said Lance.

"I don't hate the Garrison like he does," said Shiro. "I had good friends there and work I believed in."

"So you're saying, in a roundabout way, that your little brother didn't have any friends at school," said Lance, rolling his eyes.

"Hmm, it does sound that way, doesn't it?" chuckled Shiro. "Well then, I hope he can make some friends here. You're good for him, Lance. I can see that."

"Are you sure the Galra took your arm and not your eyes?" groaned Lance.  
  


* * *

  
By the third day, Lance has had enough. He stopped having nightmares, but he still couldn't sleep. After talking to Shiro, he thought about Keith all night, recalling all the moments he saw the sullen boy back at the Garrison who never mingled and always had that impatient look on his face like the world owed him. The only time he ever smiled was when he was in a flight simulator.

Lance's eyebags were visible now. He couldn't sleep so he went for an extra early breakfast, thinking if he did catch Keith there, he could give the mullet boy a piece of his mind.

He did catch Keith in the middle of breakfast. Keith was uncapping a shaker and pouring the contents of it over his goo. Lance caught a whiff of cinnamon in the air and narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure why he said it, but right now, he felt like he had to hate everything Keith liked.

"Cinnamon sucks," he blurted.

"It doesn't," Keith whipped back.

"It really does. I can't believe you like this crap."

Keith stood up, his hands slamming the table, "What's your problem, Lance?!"

Lance wasn't going to let him off easy just because he was sleepy and tired and it was all Keith's fault, "You're crazy to love this shit."

"You're the crazy one! What's wrong with liking cinnamon?"

"What's wrong? I'll _show_  you what's wrong! I challenge you to the cinnamon challenge!"

"What the hell is a cinnamon challenge?" Keith gritted his teeth.

Lance levelled his gaze at Keith and said, keeping his voice as low and stern as he could, "I challenge you to swallow a heaped spoon of cinnamon powder as fast as you can. See if you'll still like this hell-powder after that."

"You're just trying to humiliate me," said Keith, leaning in to snarl at Lance. "I won't do it unless you do it too."

"You scared, fire-imp?" said Lance, bringing his face closer and manifesting his pointy sharp teeth to snarl back.

"As if!"  
  


* * *

  
Lance stared at the spoonful of cinnamon powder.

How did it come to this? He was supposed to be pissed at Keith. He wasn't supposed to be torturing himself with cinnamon.

Still, he'd never back down from a challenge. Especially not one with Keith. He had the edge on this competition here being the experienced one in the room.

"Get ready to turn that cinnamon love into hate, Calcifer," said Lance.

"Who the hell is Calcifer," snapped Keith. He dipped his spoon into Hunk's inscribed jar and heaped the spoon higher than Lance's. "What are the rules, smartass?"

"Whoever managed to get it all down first wins. First one to run to the sink for water loses."

"Easy."

"Ready?" said Lance, holding up the heaped spoon close to his face. The smell was strong and his salivary glands cringed at the memory of the last time he had been dumb enough to do this. Apparently it wasn't horrific enough to deter him a second time. Keith mirrored his action and held the spoon to his lips.

"Go!"

They shoved their spoon in their mouths and pulled it out, setting the spoons on the counter and staring at each other as they began to try swallowing the powder.

Lance knew better than to try to swallow everything in one go. He tucked the powder into his cheeks and waited for a pocket of saliva to build before swallowing bit by bit. The powder still burned his tongue dry and he held back the urge to cough. He watched Keith predictably attempt to swallow everything in one go.

Keith began to cough and once he started, he couldn't stop. He scrabbled at his dry throat and coughed.

Lance would laugh if he could.

Suddenly the stack of paper towels on the counter was on fire.

_Did mullet-boy just...cough up a fireball?_

Lance lost it and laughed, which immediately turned into frantic coughing. At least Keith coughed first, so he didn't lose. Keith fearlessly gathered the smoking bundle of paper towels in his hands and quickly dumped them in the sink where they burned up. He continued to cough into the thankfully fireproof sink.

The kitchen's fire alarm went off and Coran's voice was heard over the speakers: "There's a fire detected in the kitchen area. All paladins, please proceed to investigate the source."

Lance quickly filled a glass of water and passed it to Keith, who looked at the glass of water then glared at Lance. Unable to speak, he shook his head.

 _Argh, fine!_  thought Lance and he downed the water first.

"I won, though," coughed Lance, passing the emptied glass to Keith. "First one to the sink loses, that's what I said."

Keith grabbed the glass from him and filled it from the tap and washed the cinnamon down. He let the tap continue to run, hoping it would wash the ashes down the sink.

"Where's the fire?" yelled Hunk as he ran into the kitchen.

"It's nothing," spluttered Keith, his tongue scalded. He refilled and gulped down another glass of water.

Hunk rushed over and seeing the ashes in the sink, looked to Lance for an explanation.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" defended Lance.

The rest came in shortly after Hunk. One look at the opened jar and the spoons on the counter, most of them had an idea what Lance and Keith had been up to.

"Don't tell me you guys did the cinnamon challenge," groaned Pidge.

"Oh for Balmera's sake! Don't you guys know that's _dangerous_? Especially when my spices are charmed and enhanced!" wailed Hunk. He turned to Lance, gripped his shoulders and shook him. "Lance! I _told_  you about this! You could get hurt!"

"It was just a tiny, tiny spoonful," said Lance, turning on his puppy eyes as his best friend shook him like a rag doll.

"Lance!"

Lance wanted the look of worry wiped off Hunk's face and relented, "Fine, I'm sorry!"

Keith stuck out his tongue and fanned it, letting the cool air soothe the burn.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Shiro. Keith swatted him away.

"You should've seen him," said Lance, "He spat a fireball just now."

Keith glared at him and something caught at his throat, setting him off in a coughing fit again. A puff of smoke came from his lips.

"Oh my gawd," gasped Lance. "You're like a baby fire dragon. Oh I know, you're a charmander!"

"That's not possible. Allura and Coran are the last dragons," said Keith, his throat feeling pretty sore and his tongue beginning to swell.

"Ohhh, I prefer bulbasaurs but charmanders are adorable too," said Hunk.

"I think Keith's more like a torchic," suggested Shiro.

"I'm not a 'torcheek'! I don't even know what that is!" protested Keith, getting increasingly confused.

"It's a really cute pokémon that looks like a baby chick," explained Hunk.

"I'm surrounded by Pokémon fanboys," groaned Pidge.

"You mean you aren't one, Pidge?" said Lance. "I thought you'd be the biggest fan of all."

"You try asking your dad to get the groceries and all he says is 'Your mom and I are busy battling right now so can you make us dinner?'," said Pidge. "Or your obsessed brother getting you to check the codes for his online research paper on Pokémon battle mechanics."

"Okay, I can see why you're not that into it," said Lance.

"What exactly is this 'pokaymon'?" grumbled Keith, hating how he couldn't understand a single thing.

"You don't know Pokémon?" said Lance, his eyes widening in disbelief. "I thought you were kidding!"

Keith made a noise of frustration.

Shiro apologised on Keith's behalf. "Sorry, Lance. We didn't have consoles back home so he never got to play the game."

"But Shiro, you know what it is," said Pidge.

The taller man scratched the back of his neck absently and chuckled, "Your Pokémon-obsessed brother's my best friend."

"Point," said Pidge.

"Allura! Coran! You know what Pokémon is?" asked Lance.

"It's that cute creature collecting game, isn't it?" said Allura. "I really like the design of the dratinis."

"Ah yes," said Coran. "There were a lot of pups who loved collecting the cards."

Lance clapped his hands down on Keith's shoulders as if appraising him, saying, "Even Allura and Coran know this, you unevolved baby eevee."

Keith could only stare at him in shock. Did he not know something that everyone, including Shiro—who was looking over at him with a sheepish grin on his face, damn the man—knew? He knew he wasn't the smartest kid around, but it felt like he was missing something that seemed _commonsense_  on this ship.

"Lance," said Hunk, "you should apologise to Keith for making him do the cinnamon challenge."

"Crap, I was hoping you forgot about that," mumbled Lance. He looked Keith firmly in the eyes and took a breath. "Okay, buddy. Sorry for making you hate cinnamon now. Even if you totally deserved it because you should've apologised to me first."

"Lance!" admonished Hunk.

Lance waved his hands at Hunk. "I said I was sorry! It's his turn now—"

"Sorry," came a soft voice. Lance stopped and turned back to Keith.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," said Keith, shrugging off Lance's hands from his shoulders. His eyes grazed to his feet. His tongue felt thick in his mouth from the burns, "I didn't mean to. I was—I lost control. I'm working on not letting it happen again. I'm sorry."

Shit, thought Lance. How was he supposed to respond to a sincere apology like that? He felt everyone watching him, ready to judge his next words.

"Um, okay, I'm sorry for the cinnamon thing too," said Lance, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you mad?"

"No?" said Keith, snapping his eyes up to glare at him. "I'm not crazy just because I'm apologising."

"Not that kind of mad. I mean, are you 'angry' mad?" asked Lance.

"No," said Keith reflexively, then he thought about it and answered again. "No, I don't think so."

"Good, because I am."

"Look, I'm sorry for injuring you—"

"I'm not pissed about that," interrupted Lance. "Look, I get it was an accident. What I'm angry at is how you avoided me after that. We could've talked it out but look what you made me do. You made me make you hate cinnamon."

"I...I needed time to think. I guess we should have talked earlier. Also, I don't hate cinnamon," said Keith. "I never will."

Lance looked at the conviction on his face and snorted.

Keith sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I have something to tell all of you."

Shiro picked up on it and gestured for the others to sit around the dining table.

Allura gave Shiro a look of concern and touched his arm reassuringly.

"I should've told you, I'm sorry," said Keith. He was full of apologies today and he felt that it would never be enough. At least they needed to know the truth before they brought the fight to the Galra. "The Galra had a Firebird. They definitely have their hands on her Quintessence."

"But as long as they aren't successful..." said Pidge, watching Keith as he spoke, knowing something was up.

"They were. At least I think they did," said Keith. Pidge and Hunk looked at him thoughtfully, already grasping his hints.

"And how do you know all this?" said Lance, seeing that no one else was asking the hard questions.

"I saw her. The last Firebird," said Keith. He leaned forward, forearms on his lap and looked at the ground. He took a breath. "I escaped a Galra facility as a kid. I was taken in by the Garrison later on." He was tired and didn't want to speak. He could feel their eyes on him and he didn't want to see what they thought.

Shiro next to him picked up where he left off, "Which explained the series of attacks on the Garrison ten years ago. Keith's guess is that they were after their experimental subjects who escaped."

"I survived the fire they set to our house," said Keith. He paused for a moment and there was a silence that sank in before he brought up the conversation again, "Remember the other day when I was supposed to meet with you guys at the shack? The Galra who came after me told me I had a bounty on my head. They didn't want the Garrison to get to me first."

"There was a reason you 'dropped out' of the Garrison, wasn't there?" said Pidge.

"I didn't drop out," said Keith. "They wanted to resume some project that had been halted in favor of the Kerberos mission. They had all known Myths in the Garrison sign up for their research and I wanted no part of that so I ran away."

Hunk was fidgeting in his seat, looking like he wanted to give Keith a big hug. Lance wrapped an arm around his big friend and patted his back to calm him.

"Project Golden Apple," said Pidge.

Shiro narrowed his eyes at her and knitted his brows together. "Where did you come across that?"

"It makes sense now," said Pidge. "I came across it when I hacked into the Garrison main frame a few days ago. They began that project alongside the Kerberos mission. The project was halted midway due to lack of approval from the upper ranks."

"What was the project about?" asked Coran.

"It was something about using the Altean and Galran methods of powering weapons. That's all the information on record."

"Golden apple...I guess they're referring to Quintessence," said Hunk.

"They're obviously not hiding anything with that code," said Pidge, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

"If the Garrison found a way to utilise Quintessence like the Galra," said Keith, "I'm sure they won't hesitate with human experiments. Maybe that's what that project was about."

"Keith," reminded Shiro. "There are good people in the Garrison who won't let that happen. Who didn't let that happen."

Keith snapped his head up to look at Shiro, "They sent their 'good people' on a failed mission and left them for dead."

"What do you know about that project, Shiro?" asked Allura.

"Sam mentioned it once," recalled Shiro. "He opposed it, saying the Garrison would destroy itself from the inside if they tried to harness power beyond their capabilities to control. He pushed for the Kerberos project instead, believing that space exploration was the way to go in furthering Garrison technology."

"So why did the Galra go after the Kerberos crew? Was it something the Garrison had that was maybe linked to the resumed project?" asked Pidge, looking eagerly to Shiro for answers.

"The Galra who captured us were after something," said Shiro. "Something they think the Garrison had." He paused, and then something clicked in his head.

"What is it, Shiro?" asked Allura.

"Voltron," whispered Shiro, turning to look Allura in the eye. "They mentioned 'Voltron'."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I say anything--please do NOT do the cinnamon challenge. It's dangerous. Very.
> 
> Thank you all for reading this far! I'm really floored by the response this fic is getting and am very grateful! I really love reading all your comments--they make me very happy and motivated!! XD I'll try my best to reply to everyone as much as I can~~
> 
> I don't know anything much about pokémon (yes i am pokémon knowledge level shiro-keith) so I had to google it up (thank you google-sensei!). 
> 
> Also, because I still managed to post this installment in time, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIRO!! Wishing you all the luck, joy and a long, happy fictional life!
> 
> Edit: SakuraPetal91-san drew a [lovely mer!Lance here](http://sakura-petal91.tumblr.com/post/158023728857), check it out!  
>   
> I doodled an emo firebird!keithy, larger version [here~](http://amarukei.tumblr.com/post/158069512608)
> 
> Edit: corrected a detail -- lance has 2 older sisters and one younger one in this fic


	7. Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

  
"There's some sort of a signal coming through," said Coran, tapping the controls at the front of the room.

"And it's coming from the base we are preparing to head to," said Pidge, pushing up his glasses. "What are the odds of this being a trap?"

"Coran and I have been setting up our energy scanners and there are Altean energy signals coming from at the sanctuary as well," said Allura, tapping at her controls a little too hard, showing the location on the main control screen. "Trap or not, I have to go there." _With or without your agreement,_ was left unspoken but felt.

"We'll check it out," said Shiro, looking at Allura's determined eyes, knowing there was nothing to dissuade her. Allura looked a little relieved.

"First, we need to plan," said Pidge, getting to work mapping out the location details on his workstation.

"As a team," said Allura. "And we will proceed with caution."

Coran looked very proud even as he gently nudged Allura away from _his_  control panel.

"So, uh, Coran, Allura," said Hunk, "You really don't know what the Galra's after?"

"They're probably after many things," said Coran, shaking his head. "And Voltron's just an old Altean fairytale. Maybe Alfor, were he still with us, would know."  


* * *

  
The castle-ship landed next to Altea Sanctuary, cloaked and hidden in the afternoon shadow of the abandoned city so the sun wouldn't catch a glint onto it and give it away.

They split into two groups, with Pidge and Shiro in a cloaked fighter pod leading the way while the others took an uncloaked one piloted by Keith.

"Why do you get to fly the plane?" grumbled Lance, strapped into his seat in a co-pilot seat, checking over the controls and looking at their surroundings.

"Because I'm a better pilot," said Keith, rolling his eyes. They weaved through Altea Sanctuary itself, avoiding the open grounds outside.

"No, you're not. Hunk, tell him," Lance looked over his shoulder to his friend, who was standing behind the seats looking queasy.

"Urp," belched Hunk, the first signs of discomfort stirring in his stomach in as he pressed a hand over his mouth and dug in the compartments for a barf bag.

"Hunk agrees with me," said Lance. No one insults his piloting skills, least of all the emo mullet. "Your flying's so bad you made him sick."

"He's not—" Keith was interrupted by his distracted co-pilot.

"Woah, what's that glowing dome?" pointed out Lance.

"Guys, are you seeing this?" came Pidge's voice over the helmets as Shiro gently swerved their pod around the dome.

"Yeah," said Keith, following Shiro's lead. "Is that some sort of barrier?"

"That's where the castle used to be," came Allura's voice. "It's like the barrier was never deactivated."

"That'd be ten years," gasped Pidge. "Wouldn't it run out of power by now?"

"That seems to be the source of the energy signals. I'm going down to investigate," said Allura.

"We should come with you," said Shiro, ready to turn around.

"There is no need," replied Allura. "You go ahead to the base."

"All right," said Shiro, his face masked in concern. "Please be careful and keep us updated, princess."

"You too, Shiro," said Allura, her voice one notch softer for him.

Pidge turned to Shiro and nudged him in the ribs with his elbow.

Shiro jerked as the sharp elbow tickled his side. "What?"

"Nothing," grinned Pidge.

* * *

  
They landed outside the abandoned former Garrison base not far from Altea Sanctuary and Shiro gave the go ahead for Keith to follow them.

"Looks like it's really abandoned," said Pidge as he easily operated the panel on the gate to the small base. "It's like it's not even locked."

"Keep your guards up, guys," said Shiro. Keith didn't need a reminder. His hand stayed on his bayard, ready to activate any time.

They found the control room easily and Pidge looked at the security camera monitors. There was no sign of Galra on the cameras until he came to a screen near the bottom.

"Guys, look," said Pidge in a hushed whisper, pointing at the bottom screen.

"Prisoners," said Shiro.

"Why are they left out in the open? This looks like a courtyard or something," said Hunk.  
  
"It looks like a gladiator ring," said Shiro, narrowing his eyes.

"We got to rescue them," said Pidge.

"Wait," growled Keith. "This is too easy. It's a trap."

"Defnitely," said Shiro.

"Do you think the Galra are spying on us right now?" asked Hunk worriedly.

"Well, we still have to rescue them," said Lance, looking around him. "There aren't any visible cameras in this room. I'm guessing the trap is right where those prisoners are."

"Then we approach with caution," said Shiro.

With Pidge coordinating them from the control room, they made their way to the large open space. The prisoners in the cage stirred when they saw them approaching.

"You need to leave us. It's a trap," said one of the prisoners as Shiro approached the cage and pulled out the lock with his activated arm.

"It's all right, we'll get you out of here," said Shiro. He activated the comm link on his helmet. "Pidge, I have four wounded here and I'm sending them your way. Take them to the castle in one of the pods."

There was a rumble, and a large Galra came through one of the two exits, holding a large, crackling staff.

"Lance, Hunk, get them out of here," said Shiro. "Keith."

"On it," said Keith, activating his bayard and gauging the enemy.

Hunk carried those who couldn't run and bounded back the way they came while Lance herded the remainder from behind.

"We'll be right back," said Lance. "Don't start the party without us!"

Keith found himself smiling at the audacity of Lance making light of their situation. He could trust them to get the prisoners out as Shiro commanded. There was a lightness in his heart as he focused on bringing down the enemy in front of them.

The Galra was tall and hulking, more beast than human with contraptions strapped on his chest and back as he waved the staff. An orb shot out from its head and curved towards Shiro even as he dodged. It grazed his metal arm and he yelled in pain.

"Shiro!" shouted Keith.

"Don't get hit by the orb! It's electricity," yelled Shiro. He picked himself up and skirted around the Galra and Keith followed his lead, pulling the were-beast's attention away from the exit the prisoners took.

The creature moved slowly as the orb came back to his staff and shot out immediately, arcing at Shiro again. He picked the right direction to dodge this time and was clear of the attack.

"I remember fighting something similar," said Shiro. "He can only shoot a fixed number of times before the orb requires recharge."

"Let's count it," said Keith, hopping lightly on his feet to increase his reflex speed.

The stumbling Were-beast howled in pain as the staff began to charge the orb, the machines on him whirring to life.

"Looks like it's two shots and recharge," said Shiro. "Go!"

He rushed up to the hulking creature, who lashed out with its free arm, leaving an opening for Keith to dig his sword into. It swung around and swiped at Keith, who jumped away in time. He only managed to slash at the contraptions on the Were-beast, and part of it came loose, wires dangling and liquids dripping on the dirt beneath them.

"Get away from there, Shiro!" yelled Keith as he saw the orb crackling brightly, ready to launch.

They dashed away from the Galra, ready to dodge the next attack. This time, the orb targeted Keith and with the distance between them, he could see it coming and dodge it with ease. The orb slammed into the ground with a loud crack and swung back to the staff and orbited out to Keith once more. He dodge-rolled and ran to the other side so that Shiro and him were on two ends of the open courtyard.

They both rushed towards the creature, with Keith freeing up the Galra's back to Shiro, who crushed and pulled off more of the contraptions fused to its back while Keith slashed at his arm, wounding it.

The Were-beast staggered back and as the orb became brighter, the two Paladins jumped back and resumed their attack pattern.

This time, the orb did not leave the staff. The Galra howled and scrabbled at the torn machinery from his body as the orb kept taking more energy from the creature himself.

"Run!" yelled Shiro, and both of them ducked into the nearest narrow exit. There was loud crackling in the air as the orb shattered and its wielder collapsed, dead on the floor.

"I'm coming back in now," came Lance's voice. "Hunk's flying the prisoners back to the castle. How are you guys holding up?"

"Well, it looks like we're done," said Shiro, looking at the smoking staff's remains.

"Paladins," came Allura's voice. "The Galra knew we were coming."

"Princess? Where are you now?" asked Shiro.

"I'm on a pod back to the castle. The Galra came rushing in after I deactivated the barrier at the sanctuary. They stopped coming after me but are heading your way now, so fall back to the castle as soon as you can."

"No," said Pidge, having hacked into the files on the system, knew he couldn't leave. "There are more prisoners further in. We have to rescue them."

"We should fall back and try again later," said Keith. "The prisoners can wait."

"No they can't!" said Pidge. "You can leave if you want to, but I'm _staying_."

"If we die here, the prisoners won't have a chance at all," said Keith. "We should go now."

"My dad's here," came Pidge's voice over the helmet, tight and determined.

"You can't put the life of one person over everyone else here."

Pidge glared at him and took a determined stand. "I'm not leaving without him. You can all go back without me."

"I understand," said Shiro, coming forward to join Pidge. "I'll come with you. The rest of you, get back to the castle and get us more pods."

"On it," said Lance, halfway down the hall and waving at Keith at the other end. "Come on, slowpoke! Let's get them those pods!"

"Fine," said Keith, looking at Shiro and Pidge, not entirely approving their choices. "You'd better hurry."

"Why are you against rescuing them anyway?" asked Lance as he jogged alongside the sulking paladin who caught up to him quickly.

"He's not looking at the big picture. If we get taken out by the Galra now, none of the prisoners would have a chance."

"But it's Pidge's dad," said Lance. "Wouldn't you do the same if it was Shiro?"

"I..."

"See? It's not that hard to understand," said Lance.

He had been taught all his life that sacrifices were necessary for the greater good, but he knew he would lose his life before giving up on Shiro. Still, it couldn't be right to risk the world for one man.

"No, I don't," said Keith.

A flash of anger crossed Lance's face. He dashed ahead of Keith and hopped into the pod left behind. He counted the Galra soldiers heading their way and knew they couldn't leave Shiro and Pidge behind. He took off in the pod, leaving Keith on the ground.

"Hey!" Keith yelled into the helmet. "What are you doing?"

"There's no time for a round trip! We have to cover them until they get the rest of the prisoners out!"

"I'm on the way back, guys," came Hunk's voice.

"Good," said Lance. "I'll hold them off with the pod while you standby for Shiro and Pidge."

"Got it," acknowledged Hunk.

Keith knew what he needed to do. He stood at the entrance of the base and swung his bayard. "I'll hold them off here."

"How's it going, Pidge?" said Lance, flying in circles and randomly firing at the Galra approaching the base. He took out some of jeeps and pods from behind, but the Galra were agile and strong, and most of them got out of their damaged transports and closed in on foot. A few of the pods turned around and went after him, and he swerved away, trying to lose them.

"We'll be outnumbered," hissed Keith. One fully manifested Were-beast was hard enough for him to deal with, let alone the dozens coming his way. He began to weigh his quickly diminishing options.  


* * *

   
Shiro and Pidge found two more prisoners in a prison room further down and Shiro pressed a metal hand against a Galran handprint scanner, unlocking the door. Pidge frowned when he saw no sign of his father.

"Where's Sam?" asked Pidge as he helped the weakened prisoners out of their cell. One of them led the way to a room where the door was replaced by bars and what looked like laboratory equipment inside. A tired, thin figure lay curled up on a filmsy bed in a corner.

"Sam?" asked Shiro as he placed his metal arm on the panel and opened the door. The thin man quickly sat up and scrambling back against his bed as he saw the armoured paladins.

"It's me, Shiro," he said, removing his helmet to reveal his face.

"You're alive!" gasped Sam, climbing off the bed to touch him, to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"We got to get you out of here," said Shiro, patting Sam's arm reassuringly.

Sam shook his head. "I can't. They'll hurt Matt if they find out I ran away."

"I'm not leaving without you," said the green paladin, taking off his helmet.

"Katie?" Sam's eyes widened and reached out a trembling hand to his daughter.

"No time for that now," steeled Pidge. This was no time for tearful reunions. "Where's Matt?"

"I don't know," said Sam. "They separated us and moved him to another facility."

"All right," said Pidge. He put his helmet back on and let Sam lean against him. "Let's get you out of here for now."

They were halfway down the hall and back into the courtyard when they were cut off by a tall, well-armoured Galra and a large, lion-like Myth by his side.

"Sendak," hissed Shiro, recognising the Galra officer.  


* * *

  
"Hurry up, Pidge!" rushed Lance.

"We're coming!" said Pidge, soon emerging from the gate with a thin, gaunt man leaning heavily on him as well as two more surviving prisoners limping behind them.

Hunk made a timely landing and almost crashed nose-first into the wall of the base. He did a quick reverse to clear some space and opened the pod. He leaned over and pulled the rescued prisoners onto the pod, settling them behind the seats. There wasn't enough space for all of them and Sam sat in the co-pilot seat.

"Get Pidge out first," said Keith, pulling out his blaster and shooting at a Galra running towards them.

He pulled Pidge up and the small paladin managed to squeeze into half the co-pilot seat with Sam.

"Lance, we're full here, so you're gonna have to get Shiro and Keith," said Hunk.

"On it," said Lance. "Standby, Black and Red. Blue's gonna be right there for you."

Keith could not _believe_  this guy. He groaned, loudly, making sure Lance could hear him.

Shiro stumbled out of the gate soon after, hissing in pain as the side of his paladin armour was dented in. Sendak lunged out a second after, and Shiro held up his shield as he was flung back by a hit from the Galra's large metal arm. A large lion-like creature emerged behind him, and the Galra soldiers who were approaching stopped in their steps when they saw the beast. The beast caught sight of them and attacked the Galra. The Galra scattered like birds, no longer interested in attacking the paladins now a bigger predator was in the field.

Instead of pressing on the attack, the armoured Galra dropped his arms and strode towards Shiro confidently, flexing the claws on his metal arm.

"Well, well," said Sendak. "It seems you are the ones who's been attacking our bases—the Champion and a bunch of _children_."

"Why are you here, Sendak?" growled Shiro.

"I would be disappointed if you had forgotten me," smirked Sendak, his cybernetic right eye glowing in excitement. "I've always wanted to challenge you in combat."

Shiro's gaze flitted to the large metal arm on the Galra. He held up his activated arm and took a defensive position, purple splotches crawling up the right side of his neck to his ear.

Sendak leapt forward, bringing his arm down and Shiro dodged into the clear but the large arm swung in an arc and whipped back down onto him. He held up his arm just in time to block the hit aimed to his head and was hammered into the ground. He pushed to his knees and rolled away from the raised claws that came down again and dug into the ground. Shiro hopped back to his feet, his right shoulder trembling from strain from the hit he took to his metal arm.

"Looks like you didn't get the _latest_  upgraded version, Champion," said Sendak as he held up his large left arm, his finger-claws clacked to life in a sick purple glow. He didn't seem upset in the least losing the prisoners and having his soldiers dispersed.

Keith stepped out and brought his sword down on Sendak, only to have it easily parried. The Were-beast's superior strength pushed Keith away easily. Shiro used the opening to rush in but Sendak was fast, his arm whipping back and smacking into Shiro's side. He barely blocked it with an activated shield and the impact threw him a distance away. They were losing out in strength even with Shiro's arm.

"Is that all you can do?" taunted Sendak, beckoning them with a finger.

Shiro glanced over at Keith, who seemed disoriented from the blow he took just now. He had to be calm for both their sakes.

Out of nowhere, there was a loud ' _crack'_  and Sendak stumbled back, hissing and touching the spot where his armour took a hit. His cybernetic eye whirred into focus and he used his arm to block the next energy bullet fired his way.

"Damn it," Lance cursed, lowering his bayard. He was leaning out of his pod, landed on higher ground a short distance away.

Shiro lunged forward, his arm a purple arc swinging down at the Galra. Sendak parried with his arm, but being distracted and anticipating another shot from Lance, he didn't catch Keith coming in from his blind spot. He drove in his bayard into the side where the armour was thinnest but Sendak's arm overpowered them and swept them away before the sword could go deeper.

He roared, and then there was a roar in return coming from behind him. The large lion-like creature that was breathing fire at a dead Galra beneath its paws dropped whatever it was doing and went to Sendak, ready to do his bidding. It growled and foamed at the mouth, waiting for the command to attack. Sendak clapped a hand over his wound and took a step back.

"Get them!" yelled Sendak, pointing at Shiro and Keith, and the creature's eyes glowed purple as it leapt at them. The Galran officer made a swift retreat, leaving them to face the ferocious Myth.

"What in the hell is this thing!" yelled Lance as he took aim. The beast moved fast for its size, too fast for him to aim. The lion-like beast growled. It had a snake-like tail and long twisted horns on top of its scraggly mane. Its muzzle was a little long for a lion and its ears were sharp. There were painful-looking scabs and scales over its legs and large talons instead of claws on its front paws—it was a patchwork blend of different animals parts.

"Guys, there's a big lion-like creature that has weird horns and a snake tail," said Lance into his helmet. "It breathes fire too. Please tell me that's not a Chimera."

"That's probably a Chimera," replied Pidge. He looked to Sam, whose brows were lined with sadness when he heard the mention of a Chimera.

Sam sighed and leaned close to Pidge's helmet and said, "The snake part of this Chimera spits a poisonous acid, so you'll want to stay away. Keep your helmets on since it can vapourise and get into the air. The head can spew fire, but you'll want to watch out for the razor sharp talons on its legs. They're the real threat here."

"Thanks, Sam," panted Shiro as he quickly dodged the paws and chose to take a flame burst to his shield. Keith took the chance to cut at the tail of the beast, only to succeed in nicking it, but it was enough for the snake-like tail to stop spewing acid.

"Shiro," said Keith through the comm. "Once there's an opening, get away from me."

"Be careful," said Shiro. They flank the beast, jumping in for an attack when the Chimera turn to face the other. Shiro managed to grab one of the horns and slam it into the ground while Keith leapt in to slash at the beast. He managed to get in a hit to its side but it roared and lashed out with its talons. Shiro managed to get his shield up in time to block it, but it was sharp enough to drive through even the energy shield. The seconds it took to dislodge its talons from the dense energy of the shield was the opening they needed.

Keith drove his bayard into the Chimera's flank and the creature howled, turning its head to Keith and letting loose a long jet of fire at him. The chimera continued with its flame attacks as Keith let go of his bayard, stuck in the beast's side, and held out a hand to signal Shiro, who quickly stepped back as the Chimera shook and backed away in pain, the continuous jet of fire whipping around uncontrollably.  
  
A flash of yellow took over Keith's eyes as the heat under his skin stirred, waiting for a challenge. The Chimera's fire was no threat at all and it was almost _disappointing._

 _Your fire can't burn me,_ thought Keith.  
  
He didn't dodge, running head on into the stream of fire as his own hands burst into flames.

"Keith!" yelled Lance as he left his pod and ran towards them, bayard in hand.

"Stay back!" shouted Keith, static coming through his comm as his armour was completely engulfed in fire.

The flames on his arms turned crimson and devoured the Chimera's own flames, crawling up and taking over the stream of fire like a parasite. The heat around them became unbearable even for the fire-spewing beast and it cut off the flames but was too late—the searing crimson fire had caught onto its mane and shoulders and dug themselves into its flank. It fell to the ground, rolling desperately to put the fire out.

Keith could see Shiro a few steps away, watching him with concern. He took deep breaths, trying to cut off his fire from spreading up his arms. He could do this. It was just a partial Manifestation. He willed his energy to go away, to stop feeding the red fire that was trying to dig through the armour into his skin. The fire wilted, dampened as he tried to keep calm.

His helmet wasn't working so well after taking the flame blast from the chimera. He pulled his helmet off, dropping it on the ground as he panted and took in gulps of hot air. As the last of his flames died off from his arms, so did the flames on the Chimera, who was whimpering in pain from the large swaths of burns on its side. It was pawing at its face and wheezing, its sides heaving from struggling to breathe. The air was thick with the smell of singed fur and flesh, the heat lingering around them like a haze.

Keith walked over and yanked his bayard out from the Chimera's side, and it had not the strength to even howl. He poised his blade over the beast's neck.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," said Keith. "Do you have any last words?"

The Chimera groaned and closed its half-opened eyes.

"Stop!" yelled Lance as he ran up to them. He reached out, gripped Keith's arm and jerked him away.

"Stop that, you asshole! We can still save him!" said Lance.

Keith pulled his arm away and impatiently flicked his bayard. Lance could see a cold, distant look in his eyes as he glared at him.

"You can't. It's too far gone. It's better to end its pain."

"It doesn't matter," said Lance. "We can't give up so easily. You don't get to decide who to throw away."

Keith looked to the dying Chimera and back to Lance, powered down his bayard, and hung it back onto his belt.

"Do whatever you want," said Keith, grabbed his helmet from the ground and walked to the pod Lance left behind, ignoring Shiro calling out to him.

Lance looked pretty pissed off as he updated Allura about the chimera, and Coran soon came over with a cargo pod. Hunk, Pidge and him managed to get the Chimera loaded onto the transport and Coran took readings of its vitals.

When they reached the castle, Shiro saw the pod in the hanger and Keith nowhere to be seen.

* * *

  
The Chimera didn't make it in the end. Coran and Hunk had managed to apply emergency treatment to stop it from dying but before they could get it into a healing pod, the Chimera had summoned enough strength for its tail to sink its venomous fangs into itself, and within minutes, it was dead.

Lance went to breakfast the next day with swollen, red eyes.

"Hey, Shiro, are you okay from yesterday?" asked Hunk, knowing Lance didn't want attention drawn to him right now. Hunk himself had cried alongside Lance after the Chimera died, but he had long learnt to accept these things and moved on much faster than Lance could.

"I used some of that ointment Coran gave me. It worked pretty well," said Shiro. "Oh, and Pidge is running some tests with Sam to make sure he's all right so they won't be joining us today."

Keith walked into the dining room, his movements a little sluggish and there were dark circles under his eyes. He probably trained all night, observed Shiro.

"How are you, Keith?" asked Allura.

"Fine," replied Keith curtly. He dispensed a plate of goo and sat down to eat silently, ignoring everyone around him.

"He's dead. The chimera's dead," blurted out Lance. He still couldn't figure out the bitter taste in his gills but it was making him feel choked and angry just looking at Keith.

Keith took a breath and glared up at Lance. "Good. It was probably better that way."

Lance stood up, slamming his hands on the table.

"Lance," said Hunk, his hands ready to grab his friend. He narrowed his eyes at Keith, wondering why he would say something so cold like that, but the energy he was reading off Keith was a confusing mix of anger, sadness and fear.

"You can't just decide things like that," said Lance, his voice cracking and his frustration bubbling out again. "What if that was someone we knew? What if that was _you_?"

Keith let his spork fall back onto the plate and stood up.

"Then I'd expect you to do the same as I would."

At that moment, Lance understood the reason for all his anger and frustration towards Keith. He went right after the scowling teen and grabbed his collar. Keith clapped his hand over Lance's wrist, digging into his skin.

Hunk and Shiro quickly stood up to separate the boys.

Keith jerked his arm away from Shiro's grip and snapped at him, "Don't touch me!"

"You're so goddamn _selfish_!" hissed Lance. "First Pidge's dad, the Chimera, and yourself. You can't just give up on people! And you! You are—were a Garrison elite. You have the talent, the looks, and you have Shiro! How can you just throw everything away like you _don't even care_?"

"So what if I don't? It's none of your damn business," snarled Keith. Lance hit his sore spots with every word and he was helpless as his anger took over.

"Keith," pleaded Shiro, holding his hands up and standing between them, trying to calm his brother down.

"Stop being such a goddamn matyr, Shiro," growled Keith. "Stop your pitying and trying to help the messed up kid."

"Don't talk to Shiro that way," Lance snapped back. "I don't even know why he puts up with your emo ass. You don't deserve him!"

Every word was true. Every word stung to the bone. Bitter and angry thoughts that he pushed deep down, the ones he hoped never to give a voice to, bubbled darkly to the surface and he couldn't keep them down as they choked him. Keith was losing control as Lance kept pushing his buttons and he. Just. Won't. Stop.

"You're right, I don't," said Keith, his voice softer but filled with deep resentment. "I never asked for this. I never asked to be a burden."

That resentment wouldn't stop tumbling out even though he'd buried them so deep and swore he'd never use them against his brother. These were secrets, feelings he wanted to take to his grave with him. Now they were bleeding freely out of him like an old scar gouged open.

"You left me in that burning house, Shiro. You left me to die there, just like everyone else did," said Keith, his lips curling in a bitter sneer. "I feel that fire burning every time I Manifest. I feel it every time I see your goddamn arm. Why couldn't you have left me alone? Fuck all of this. You know what? I really wish I did die that day."

"Keith—" before Shiro could say a word more, Lance had flung himself forward and drove a fist into Keith's face. Keith lashed back instinctively, hooking a fist into his eye.

"Lance!" cried Hunk as he pulled Lance away.

"Stop this," said Allura, thoroughly displeased as she stepped up to the both of them, her height over them lending intimidation to her authority. "Both of you. Go to your rooms and cool off. Now."

Shiro walked quietly beside Keith as he headed to his room, the younger man trembling from the adrenaline his emotional outburst had injected into his veins. Keith stopped in front of his room and slammed a hand against the wall, then he punched his fist into it a few more times as he let out breathless, frustrated noises. For good measure, he banged his head against it hard, and stayed there, taking in long, deep breaths.

"Fuck," he said, in a voice that was too soft and tired to be angry.

Shiro waited, staying an arm's length away, knowing Keith wouldn't want to be touched.

"I never wanted to say any of that. I never meant to say that to you," Keith said softly, his voice began to choke from the strain of frustration welling up in his throat again. He slammed the wall next to his room again, letting the banging sound echo his inability to say the right things.

"None of what happened to me was your fault. I just—" He made another frustrated noise.

"Keith, it's okay," said Shiro, in a soft murmur, as if not really believing himself.

"It's _not_  okay," gritted out Keith. "Because that's how I really feel sometimes and I shouldn't. You didn't need to know that."

He let out an ugly sob and ducked into his room. Shiro didn't follow him in, knowing what he needed was to be alone now.  
  


* * *

   
"I know where you're coming from, Lance, but I don't think you should've punched him," said Hunk, hugging his best friend, who was sniffling into his vest, as they took the longer way around to his room to avoid running into Keith.

"I didn't really mean to," said Lance. "I just, I'm angry that he's throwing everything he has away like a spoilt brat. It's like he doesn't treasure the things he has at all. And he has _so much_!"

"But Lance, he's had many things taken from him as well," said Hunk, rubbing his hand on Lance's arm consolingly. "Bad things are always so much louder than good things. It's not his fault he can't see the good things anymore."

"I know," sniffed Lance. "I just couldn't help it."

"Maybe you should apologise to him later?" suggested Hunk.

"Maybe," whispered Lance.  
  


* * *

  
Lance took a short nap in his room and then went with Hunk to go through some mid-morning drills with Shiro. He was thankful for the conveniently missing Keith because he really needed more time to cool off before he could start thinking about maybe formulating an apology.

He didn't have that luxury because Allura made an announcement right after the morning drills.

They gathered at the bridge quickly and Keith was there too, a towel draped around his neck looking like he had been training by himself.

They locked eyes for a split second and snapped their gazes away.

Coran explained the castle picked up energy signals not far off and when they sent a drone to check it out, the live feed showed them winged creatures fighting off a group of Galra.

"Wow, Harpies! I hear they're quite friendly despite what people say about them, but..." Hunk trailed off as he sees a Harpy swoop in and kick a Galra off their feet. "They look...scary."

"They're a pretty common species," said Pidge. "But I've never seen so many gathered in one place before."

"I'll situate the castle closer and we should fly a few pods in to help them," said Allura.

"So, who wants to go?" grinned Coran, twirling his moustache. Hunk and Pidge raised their hands immediately.

"Lance, Keith, do you want to sit this one out?" asked Shiro, noticing how exhausted the two of them looked with matching bruises on their faces.

"I'm fine," said Keith and Lance at the same time. Shiro shrugged, his brows raised and if they could speak, it was probably an 'okay, if you guys say so'.  
  


* * *

  
By the time they got there, the ferocious feathered Harpies had already chased off the Galra hunters and retrieved their precious eggs and children. The Paladins hopped out of their pods and the Harpies swarmed on them, circling around, screeching and ready to attack at the smallest provocation. Shiro raised his hands and explained to them they were here to help. Hunk and Pidge quickly took out the medical supplies for display and this got the older Harpies to approach them and talk it out.

After receiving all the medical attention, the Harpies warmed up to them enough to show them where the rest of their people were—at the bottom of a sheer rock cliff surrounded by other sheer walls of rock accessible only by fully Manifested Harpies themselves.

The small place was filled with cabins and trees, bustling with children and noise.

Allura and Coran brightened up when they saw the setup, and Coran explained his excitement to the Paladins.

"This is a nesting ground! This is where Harpies come to hatch their younglings, mingle with other Harpies, throw feather moulting parties and find mates."

The harpy bringing them around looked at Coran and rolled her eyes at his description.

Allura clapped her hands together when they came across a playground of sorts where the children were chasing each other around, half flying, half tumbling as a few worried guardians watched on.

"Now that the Galra knows our nesting grounds, we'll have to move," said their guide. "We have an alternative site, but it's going to take many trips to move everyone over."

"Oh, we can bring all of you there in the Castle-ship," said Allura without hesitation.

"Indeed," said Coran enthusiastically. "There's not enough space for the castle to land but we can bring our cargo pods down and move everything up to the castle in a jiffy! Not to mention there's enough space for all your furniture too."

"You know, Harpies are way cuter than I imagined," said Lance to Hunk as they kept the excited children occupied while their parents got to work swiftly dismantling the lightweight cabins and scaffolding-filled playgrounds and loaded them onto the cargo pods.

Despite the backwater location, their accomodations were pretty high-tech, with cabins that could be assembled and dismantled like light but sturdy lego blocks. A lot of the ground was covered in a material that resembled thin foam, which they rolled up and carted off to the pods. The children wouldn't let go of the Paladins, curious about their suits, and now Lance and Hunk were on babysitting duties as Shiro and Keith helped with the heavy lifting.

Lance was about to casually offer Allura a hand as she passed by but she raised a brow at him and easily lifted two stacks of cabin-building blocks on her shoulders. Even Shiro carried only one stack at a time. Lance decided that heavy lifting was definitely not his area. With instruction and help from one of the adult Harpies, he built a makeshift playpen for the children to keep them in.

"You're good with kids," mused Shiro as he came over and watched Lance zoom the kids around on a trolley. The kids were standing in a line, waiting for their turn to be pushed around. One of them approached Shiro and he picked them up and tossed them lightly in the air. The older kids shifted between their Manifestations according to their moods and it was amusing to watch them learn how to control their forms. It was hard to tell their genders at this age, and Lance long gave up on it.

"So are you," said Lance, watching the child laugh as Shiro swung them up and down.

A toddler on the mats began to cry and Lance passed the trolley of kids to Hunk and picked up the crying, half-Manifested baby. He bounced them lightly in his arms and they calmed quickly, sucking on their thumb.

"I've had a little experience. I don't know how to handle the younger ones, though," said Shiro as he put down the child and offered his arm for them to swing on. Two more joined in, hooking their hands around his biceps and lifting their knees to hover over the ground. The tall paladin gently spun them around like a human merry-go-round.

"Dang, this is adorable! I wish I had my phone on me right now to snap a pic," said Lance.

"Shiro," came Keith's irritated voice as he stormed over, "stop playing and help move those boxes. And Hunk, Coran's calling for you to help him. He says he sprained his back."

"Sure," said Hunk as he lifted the smaller kids from the trolley and put them back in a playpen before running off.

"What's wrong?" asked Shiro, looking at the way Keith was absently squeezing and rubbing his arm.

"Nothing," said Keith, aware that Lance was there. Lance huffed and walked away, putting the toddler in his arms back onto a square of the soft foam-like bedding, expertly tucking the sleepy child in with a pillow and a blanket.

"I'll go help them then," said Shiro, not bothering to push an answer out of his stubborn brother. "You stay here with Lance and watch the kids."

"Shiro, you can't just leave him here," said Lance, slightly panicked.

"Sorry, Lance, we're really short on hands," apologised Shiro, who gave him a sheepish grin and quickly left.

There was a moment of awkward silence between Lance and Keith as they refused to meet each other's eyes. The children were quieter now, the younger ones drowsing off to sleep on the mats. Lance tucked the sleepy children in for a nap and didn't speak. He wasn't ready to talk to Keith. Not when the fight was still so fresh from this morning.

"Look," said Keith. "I know you don't want me around right now, so I'll try not to get into your space."

"'s fine," said Lance, not looking up from the kids.

"Okay," said, Keith getting to work and patrolling the perimeter of the playground-sized makeshift pen, ready to grab any kid who so much as tried to take one step out.

Lance sighed tiredly, "Look, I can handle this by myself. You can leave if you want."

Keith picked up a straying child trying to climb over the low-walled pen with an arm and the child squirmed, crying in protest from the discomfort.

"Shit. That's not how you carry a kid," said Lance as he strode over and plucked the crying child from Keith into his arms and rubbed their back. "You've got to use both arms—" Keith shuffled on his feet and looked away, absently squeezing his arm— "Wait. What happened to your arm?"

"Sprained it," muttered Keith.

"Put some ice on it, you goose," said Lance. He was still angry; Keith getting himself hurt and not caring enough to ice it wasn't helping.

"Later," dismissed Keith as he made his way over to the other side of the pen and stationed himself there. He kept quiet, letting Lance go on with his work as if he wasn't there.

Lance started teaching a clapping game to the children who were awake and soon, they were sitting in a circle as he sang a song that went with the clapping and the kids caught on pretty fast, humming and singing along.

Keith, now left with nothing to do, sat down on the edge of the pen and watched. The clapping game was fascinating and he found himself trying to memorise the patterns along with the children. Even with kids, Lance played to win. Once he won, he waved his arms in the air in a victory dance while sitting down, gloating his win, prompting the kids to clamour for another round. They went one more round, then he started a new game of charades. Halfway through the round, one of the toddlers stirred and began to cry. He left the older kids to play among themselves and went over to check. Keith watched as he skilfully changed a dirty diaper on the toddler and rubbed noses with them.

All this was so foreign to Keith and he watched on as Lance easily got the children to stay put and do what he wanted with nothing but words and playful gestures. He can't help the feeling of contentment washing over him as he listened to Lance tell the children a story about a sea monster called Nessie who went on an adventure with her jellyfish friends. Keith found himself invested in the story and found himself wanting to know what went next. There was so much detail and movement in Lance's story that made him wonder if Nessie's story was real. Maybe he'd ask Hunk or Pidge about it.  
  
They were interrupted when the adult Harpies came over and told them they were done moving. The children complained at the abrupt end of the story but Lance assured them Nessie lived happily ever after with her friends. He waved enthusiastically at the children as the Harpies bundled their tots off his hands.  
  


* * *

  
Allura and the others got the Harpies settled into their new location pretty fast and they were back at the castle with an hour to spare before dinner, soon engaged in a lively conversation about Harpies.

"Now wasn't that an educational experience? Did you know that Harpies hatched from eggs fully Manifested? Well, there are those who are half-human and don't come from eggs, but most of them tend to spend the first few years of their lives learning to take on human shape!" said Coran, happily showing off his knowledge.  
  
"The adults we saw didn't take human form," said Hunk. "Are they more comfortable in their Myth form?"

"Maybe?" said Pidge. "Oh, but there were quite a few deliberately out there to show off their colourful feathers."

"Some of them, especially the males, have impressive plumage for, well, _impressing_  potential mates with," supplemented Coran.

"I talked to some of them," said Shiro. "Most of them take time off to Nest when they are ready for eggs but they usually go back to the cities to work once the children are old enough to control their Manifestation."

"And they're so friendly!" said Hunk. "Especially that guy with the green and yellow feathers. He even showed me one of their traditional dances."

"He was flirting with you, Hunk," said Pidge, waggling a brow at him.

"And I missed that?" said Lance. "Dang, I'm missing all the good stuff! You guys got to talk and work with the adults while I just babysat, huh."

"You were really great with the kids back there, Lance," said Shiro. "We couldn't have gotten everything done so quickly without you."

"Yeah," agreed Hunk. "Their parents were telling us how their kids loved you."

"Of course they love me," said Lance, preening himself on the compliments.

"I wouldn't know how to handle kids, so yeah, good job, Lance," chuckled Pidge.

Allura and Coran agreed, both of them giving him a pat on the back. Lance looked to Keith, who dropped his smile the moment he realised Lance was looking at him. He stood up and mumbled something about training and hastily left the room.  


* * *

  
The rest of the day was quiet between the two as they kept away from each other. By dinner, the bruise on their faces had faded thanks to some of Coran's special medicinal balm.

Pidge's father sat with them and told them about the research the Galra had him do. He had refused to knowingly do anything to harm others, so they experimented on him instead and had him tabulate and analyse the results.

"Chimeras are related to the Sphinxes," explained Sam. "Given their more destructive abilities, the Galra druids were attempting to reverse engineer them from the quintessence they had extracted from me and the others."

"But the one we saw wasn't a proper Chimera," said Pidge, brows knitted together in thought. "Their features weren't clearly defined and the different animal characteristics blended into each other. That makes them closer to a completely different Myth than a Chimera, really."

"They turned one of their own, a Galra Were-beast, into that," said Sam, shaking his head at the cruelty of what he had seen. "They experiment and torture their own kind as much as on humans and Myths alike."

Coran twirled his moustache and added thoughtfully, "While Alteans enhance and compliment energy sources they come across, Were-beasts are adaptable and resilient Myths who can even change the fundamental nature of the energy they take in. Which is why they are able to corrupt Balmeran crystals for their own use."

"So I assume that makes them prime candidates for experimenting on as well since they have a better chance of surviving incompatible quintessence," said Pidge.

"The Galra druids seek to create powerful Myths, and in turn, harvest the strong quintessence cores they possess," said Sam, nervously tapping his fingers on the table. "That's why they've been hunting down Myths, driving many to extinction over the past years. No one's safe from them."

"We'll get Matt back, dad," said Pidge, wrapping his short arms around the gaunt-looking man. The past year had not been kind to him and he looked like he aged ten years with all the worry he put on and the weight he lost.

"I wish it had been your brother who's safe instead of me," said Sam.

"Matt will be fine. I found Shiro, I found you; I'm going to find him too."

"Thank you, Katie," said Sam, taking comfort in his daughter's hug and determination.

"Katie?" sputtered Lance, spewing out his drink.

"Hey, by the way," said Pidge, announcing at the table, looking pointedly in Lance's direction, "for the clueless ones who don't know already, my real name is Katie and I'm a girl. But please refer to me as a guy until we're completely clear of the Garrison because I'm on their blacklist and their gender-dense staff were told to keep an eye out for a  _girl_."

Lance slammed his hands on the dining table for a second time that day.

"You're a girl?!" He looked at everyone else, not even avoiding Keith's face anymore from the shock of the news. No one else but him looked surprised. "And the rest of you already know that?"

"Well," began Shiro, "I've known since the beginning because of Matt."

"I was smuggling _sanitary products_  for him back at the Garrison since the start of the term," said Hunk. "Though back then, I thought you identified as a dude."

"Nah, I like being a girl," said Pidge.

Lance widened his eyes at Keith, exasperated, "You! You knew all along?"

Keith turned away, avoiding Lance's glare but answered anyway, "I walked into Pidge changing."

Lance's eyes widened like saucers. "Of all the clichés and tropes—"

"I didn't see anything!" snapped Keith.

"Yeah, he didn't," corroborated Pidge. "He walked in when I was gonna change and I told him to get out cos I didn't want to change with him around. Told him the truth soon after that. Actually, I'm a little surprised you didn't figure it out yourself, with the whole 'ladies' man' shtick you kept up at the Garrison," said Pidge.

"Hey, I go after anyone whoever looks good and it just so happens most of them are ladies. I don't exactly _need_  to pay attention to gender," said Lance, rolling his eyes. "Besides, 'short and nerdy' isn't my type."

"Good to know," said Pidge, rolling his eyes back at Lance and smirked, "Cos 'loud and annoying' isn't mine."

"You're so mean," gasped Lance, holding a hand over his heart. Pidge guffawed at his win. Lance pulled a sad face for a second then broke into a grin.

They went back to discussing how to get Sam to safety and what to do with the prisoners they rescued as Keith and Lance went back to avoiding looking at each other.

After their discussion, Allura had another piece of news.

"I retrieved a crystal from Altea Sanctuary and ran through the contents of it earlier today," said Allura. "It was a crystal core my father left behind, imbued with his thoughts and memories. He told me about Voltron."

"So what is it?" asked Shiro.

"I think it's easier to show you," said Allura, gesturing them to follow her. "This information is for Paladins only."

Coran had already seen the contents of the crystal but stayed behind to keep Sam company. The five of them followed Allura, and as they stepped into a dark room, there was a crackle of energy and lights were thrown up around the wall and they found themselves walking in the sights and sounds of a large field of flowers.

"Holograms!" whispered Pidge excitedly as he looked around in wonder.

A tall, regal-looking man in Altean garb appeared in the centre of the field and smiled at them.

"Hello, Allura," said the image.

"Hello, Father," smiled Allura fondly. "I've brought the Paladins here to see Voltron."

The image of Alfor nodded and with a wave of his hand, the field of flowers was gone, replaced with images of giant mechanical lions flying through the air, each capable of powerful attacks enough to wipe out fleets of fighters. The lions combined into one, forming a large weapon that could lay whole battleships to waste.

"They're weapons," gasped Hunk.

"They're ships!" exclaimed Pidge. "Each lion is a ship!"

"They're so beautiful," gawked Lance.

"This is too powerful to be in anyone's hands," said Shiro.

"Agreed," said Allura. "The Alteans and the Galra wanted to build weapons strong enough to protect the Sanctuary. My father, together with many others, developed complex quintessence cores for each lion. The lions became sentient in time and would only accept pilots whom they deem worthy. When the project was completed, Zarkon led an attack on Altea. My father and the others had the lions hidden away before he died."

"So where are the lions now?" asked Keith.

Allura reached a hand out, and partially manifested scales on her wrist glowed with a warm, soft light.

"One of them is right here in the castle with us," said Allura. "But it will not be released until all the lions have been gathered and their Paladins assembled."

"You can sense them?" asked Shiro.

"My father taught me how to, earlier on. He has tied the locations of the lions to his lifeforce and now they're tied to mine," said Allura. "One of them is indeed with the Garrison. Another one is with the Galra. The other two remain hidden, but it's only a matter of time before the Galra finds them, so we have to get to them before they do."  
  


* * *

  
Lance always thought the whole 'walking into someone changing' was an overused trope that would never happen to him, not in that way at least, until he walked right into the kitchen for a late-night snack and saw a shirtless Keith drinking from the sink.

"Huh," said Lance. They had avoided each other after the briefing on Voltron and he hadn't bet on running into Keith so soon— _oh, who was he kidding?_  They were on a ship with seven people, not including temporary guests.

Keith turned around, grabbed his shirt off the counter and pulled it back on. "You're...early for breakfast," he said warily. _Was it all right to talk to Lance now?_

"No kidding, it's like, three in the morning. Hey, what's wrong with your back?" said Lance, noticing the ugly red scabs all over his skin. Two longer streaks of red cut through the expense of his back among the smaller ones. There was a smell of medicinal ointment in the air and there was an arm band snug around his forearm where he sprained it.

"It's nothing," said Keith. He didn't want to ruin any progress he'd made with Lance so far. Maybe if he didn't say anything, they wouldn't have anything to argue about.

"I'm just showing some concern," said Lance, folding his arms and looking offended.

_I was just trying to help, jerk!_

Keith recalled what Lance had said back there at in the Balmera caves. Even after that, Lance never stopped approaching him. Why would anyone want to come near someone who hurt them? Lance was difficult to understand.

 _Use your words,_  Shiro always had to remind him time and again. Words never came easy to him.

Lance was good with words, always picking out the ones that hit the hardest, but also the ones that made him want to hear more of. Lance had so much to share—the stories he told the Harpy children, the jokes witty enough to make even Pidge laugh, the smiles he had when praised for a job well-done, and the way he looked so _beautiful_  in the water.

He didn't want to lose all that just because of an argument.

_He didn't want to lose Lance._

"Um, okay. Thanks?" said Keith, hoping it was an acceptable answer. It was, because Lance gave him a smile. It looked tight and unnatural on his face so it had to be a fake one, but for Lance to actually put in the effort to give him a fake smile meant that Lance was trying to mend what they broke. He had to try too.

"I, uh, didn't use the healing pods after we..." he trailed off, suddenly realising this wasn't a good subject to broach.

"Oh, so the whole time out there with the Galra and today with the Harpies..." realised Lance, his voice turning bitter. "You were doing all that while injured?"

"It's not a big deal," said Keith quickly, more a reaction than a thought out response. He tried again. "I mean, it doesn't hurt. Much. I heal pretty fast."

Facts were facts. He could talk about facts instead of being defensive. Patience yields focus, he told himself and mentally cursed Shiro while at it.

"Are you a masochist?" said Lance. Keith narrowed his eyes, wondering if Lance was being sarcastic.

"No, I'm not joking. Do you like, love being in pain or something?" said Lance. He paused, and added, "I'm not going to judge if you do, yeah?"

"I'm not," said Keith. He questioned himself right after that, because he knew he did choose to be in pain when he could be pain-free if he'd just spent a few hours in a pod. He felt he couldn't lie if he wanted Lance to listen, so he tried again and mumbled, "I...I don't know. I just didn't want to get in the healing pod."

"Okay," said Lance, not pushing it. He could hear, from the stuttering and uncertainty in his voice, that Keith was trying to talk. Keith had taken a step forward, and he supposed he should too. "Being in a small, cramped space wearing an ugly healing suit? I understand, cos that's like, totally _understandable_ ," continued Lance, clicking the back of his tongue and cocking a finger-gun at Keith.

Keith smiled. He liked it very much when Lance said things like this, being _understanding_.

 _Use your words to tell people what you want,_  came more of Shiro's annoying words of wisdom at the back of his head.

"I like you," said Keith.

Lance choked on his own spit.

"I—I mean, I like it when you're funny like that," spluttered Keith.

"Sure. Cool," coughed Lance.

"Don't tell Shiro," said Keith.

"Don't tell him that you like me, uh, my amazing sense of humour?" asked Lance, still stumbling over his words.

Keith bit his lip and felt his cheeks heat up. "Don't tell him I didn't go to a healing pod."

It was Lance's turn to feel the heat rising up his cheeks. "Oh, that. Sure. I'll keep your secret. I'm good at that."

"That's not what Hunk said the other day," recalled Keith. "He said you can't keep a secret."

"Shhh," said Lance, wagging a finger in front of Keith's lips. "I can and I will."

* * *

  
Shiro found out the next morning.

It wasn't Lance's fault. They had a group training for the first time in two days and the jerky movements in Keith's dodge-rolls did not escape Shiro's observant eyes.

Right after training, Keith disappeared.

It was Pidge who found him in the cleaning supplies room absently kicking at a bucket.

"You really don't want to be found, huh," commented Pidge as he pushed aside a box of cleaning sponges with his feet in the small room to clear a path. "Good choice."

"You still found me," sighed Keith, getting up from a crate he was sitting on and gesturing for Pidge to move out so they could be more comfortable.

"I was checking up on the castle's surveillance cameras and figured you were probably here," said Pidge.

"But there aren't any cameras here," said Keith.

"Exactly," said Pidge. They make their way out to the more spacious hallway and Pidge gestured for him to follow him. "Come on, Hunk's making cookies. You don't want to miss this. Unless it's Hunk and me you're avoiding, which is unlikely."

Keith shrugged. Pidge should be a detective with his powers of deduction.

"So, whatcha doing holed away in there? Escaping reality?"

Keith shrugged, "No, just Shiro."

"Care to tell why?"

"He wants me in the healing pod but I don't need it," said Keith.

Pidge raised a hazel brow. "Do I need to pull an Allura and smack you on the back?"

"I'd rather you don't," said Keith, making a mental note never to have his back to the petite Paladin, who must have noticed his raised defenses and relented.

"Fine, I won't smack you, promise," said Pidge, turning into the dining room and beckoning him to come in.

"'kay," said Keith. He appreciated how Pidge was straightforward and always said what he meant.

"I've observed you have pretty high mobility for the injuries you've sustained. Do you have accelerated healing abilities and is it applicable only to burns or all kinds of injuries?" said Pidge.

"I think I heal fast, but I haven't really paid attention to that," said Keith. "I think it's just that the burns I get usually look worse than it is?"

"Are you hurt?" asked Hunk, having heard the tail end of their conversation. He looked up from the sink where he was cleaning his utensils.

"No," said Keith.

"Keith," said Pidge, giving him a levelled look.

"All right, yes," said Keith, feeling like he owed it to be honest to Pidge after the Chimera incident, "but it's nothing."

"I can help you look at it," offered Hunk.

"I said it's fine," said the stubborn teen.

"All right," said Hunk, not pushing it. "Cookie?"

Pidge reached out and made a grabby-hands gesture as Hunk placed the cookies from a tray to a rack on the counter to cool. Pidge eagerly snatched a small cookie and ate it in one bite.

"Peanut butter! My favourite!" said Pidge as he grabbed another one and juggled the hot cookie in his hands.

Hunk laughed, then looked to Keith and asked, "Do you want some?"

Keith shook his head. He wasn't a big fan of peanut butter.

"I made a batch with cinnamon sugar."

Keith's face perked up.

Pidge threw him a look and said, "Aaaand he's _sold_."

"Please," said Keith to both Pidge and Hunk.

"You're so easy to read," chuckled Pidge. "Hey, Hunk, it's a Firebird thing, right? Cinnamon."

"Is it?" said Keith, a little surprised.

"Just so we're sure, you're a Firebird, yeah?" said Pidge.

Keith carefully nodded once.

"So, since Hunk and I know now, if there's anything we can do to help, you just let us know," said Pidge.

"Pidge, I didn't agree with rescuing your father," said Keith, feeling the weight of what Lance had pointed out. If he had to choose again, he would've still left behind Pidge's father and banked on a second chance instead of risking all the lives of everyone there. He didn't have to like what he chose but what was one person's feelings?

"You just said what was logical," said Pidge, not taking any personal offense. He knew as well as the rest of them that was what the Garrison taught all cadets. "And regardless of what you thought, you did help us out in the end. I appreciate that."

"So we're...okay?" ventured Keith.

"Sure," shrugged Pidge.

"Just to answer your question about cinnamon," said Hunk, "I did a little research when the topic of Firebirds first came up. Historians observed that they built their nests with twigs from cinnamon trees."

"I would've said that was ridiculous except I can almost see it now," said Pidge as he arched an eyebrow at Keith's plate of cookies. Keith rolled his eyes and pulled his plate away from Pidge's reach. _Just in case_.

"That's how I guessed Keith was a Firebird," said Hunk.

"No way," said Pidge. "So you figured it out the moment he ran over for cinnamon coffee?"

The way Pidge and Hunk discussed him like it wasn't a big deal made him feel strangely comfortable. That nonchalance they seemed to have dulled the panic he would've felt talking about Firebirds. He had expected Pidge and Hunk to know, but to have them discuss like just part of daily conversation made him feel relieved and light. Maybe in time, he could mention it casually the way they were doing.

No big deal. He felt hopeful about it.

"Yep, though I was only certain of it when he told us about his past with the Galra," said Hunk. He took out a red cotton pouch and held it out to Keith. "By the way, this is for you."

"What is it?" Keith took it, turning the palm-sized drawstring pouch over in his hands. The first thing he noticed was a light cinnamon smell coming from it. He held it close to his nose and scented a little mint, cloves and a blend of other spices. There was also something hard in the pouch, like a small rock.

"It's a protection sachet," said Hunk. "You can hang it in your room to ward off negative energy. It should help you sleep better."

"I can't take it. You should keep it for yourself," said Keith, looking torn and holding it back out to Hunk.

"Don't worry about it. I'm making one for each of us," said Hunk. "Besides, this one's made with you in mind. It won't work for anyone else. There's a piece of smokey quartz in it," said Hunk, "which is good for healing, since you seem to get hurt quite a bit."

"By 'quite a bit', you mean a truck-ton," corrected Pidge. He looked at Keith and smirked, "We should just install a whole slab of smokey quartz in your room."

Keith chuckled at Pidge's comment as his fingers played with the drawstring of the small pouch. He looked at Hunk's smiling eyes and felt something grip at his voice as he said, "I, uh, I like it. Thanks."

"I'm glad you like it!" smiled Hunk, making it easy for Keith to reciprocate a smile. Hunk continued to talk to Pidge about balancing the energy in the ingredients of the pouches he made and Pidge gave Keith a cheeky grin and talked of how they could hypothetically go about installing a large slab of said smokey quartz in Keith's room. Pidge and Hunk did all the talking but they never left him out of the loop, dropping a joke here and there he found himself laughing at.  
  
Keith always thought that talking was hard. He never had a chance to strike conversation that easily back at the Garrison. The older cadets he trained with seldom bothered themselves with him, having formed their own cliques in their earlier years. The friendlier ones greeted him now and then, but he seldom replied, and they too, soon stopped bothering to try.

The first years sometimes tried to strike conversation with him but when they found out he trained with Shiro or the seniors, they stopped talking to him. He knew they talked _about_  him but never paid attention to that. He remembered watching Lance and Hunk in class sometimes and envied the easy conversation and laughter the two always seemed to have in abundance.

Pidge and Hunk made conversation look so easy. They didn't make him feel left out. They could've just gone into a full tech debate and left him hanging but they didn't. Maybe he could try it too. He opened his mouth, then closed it, not able to find the right words. The both of them were looking at him now, waiting for him to say something.

Shiro always told him to be patient with his words and practise, practise, _practise_. He sighed inwardly. Obviously he lacked practise because he was taking a long time trying to think of something to say.

"The cookies are really good, Hunk," he tried, after a long silence.

Hunk beamed. "Thanks, buddy!"

That was a great success as far as conversation went, thought Keith. Maybe he could give it another shot.

"Um, could you both tell me more about Pokéman when you're free?"

"You mean  _Pokémon_?" chortled Pidge. "I thought you'd never ask. Heck, I'll even teach you the new Pokémon Go game. You'll be an expert in no time."

"You don't have to," said Keith, startled at how Pidge was offering him a whole cake when he only asked a slice for fear of asking too much. "You don't even like the game!"

"We're friends," grinned Pidge. "That's what friends do. For you, I'll even become a gym _overlord_."

Hunk laughed, "I bet you secretly just want to beat Matt at it."

"That's an added bonus," said Pidge. "But hey, it could be a real fun activity for us to bond as friends."

"Friends," repeated Keith. He couldn't help the upward tug pulling the corners of his lips.

"Yep," beamed Hunk. He stretched out an arm and waited for Keith to carefully lean over the counter before giving him a light shoulder hug. "Friends. Lance thinks of you as his friend too."

"I don't think he likes me very much. I'm probably just someone he wants to beat," said Keith.

"From my vantage point," said Pidge. "He's just trying to get your attention because he thinks you're awesome."

Hunk and Keith graciously refrained from pointing out that Pidge's vantage point isn't very high.

"You don't hate him, do you?" asked Hunk, treading carefully.

"What? No," said Keith. "Not at all."

"That's good to hear," smiled Hunk. "Lance could really use a friend like you."  
  


* * *

   
Keith eventually decided to go to the healing pod voluntarily, asking Coran for assistance. He couldn't hide from Shiro forever after all. Being hurt would probably just make Shiro and his new-found friends feel bad, and it was never his intention to do that. He just wanted a reminder of the consequences of losing control over his Manifestation.

The scabs pulling at his skin was one way to do it, but maybe he didn't need a physical reminder anymore, now he had the words and faces of his _friends_  around him to remind him of that.

When he came out an hour later, Shiro was there with a smug grin.

Keith groaned and smacked Shiro in the arm. _Hard_. And of course the metal arm hurt him more than it hurt Shiro.

Not a moment too soon, Allura's voice came over the comms, urgent.

"Paladins. Come to the bridge at once. The Garrison is under attack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, AAAAHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I can't express how grateful I am for all the comments and kudos and just knowing there are many people reading this fic makes me feel like the luckiest person on earth. I am so very very lucky and blessed to fall into this fandom and this pairing at the right time and place.
> 
> it was a bit of a struggle to write this chapter (and the next) since I had to shuffle the sequence of events about. I originally wanted all 3 battles (including the coming garrison one) to be one after the other, but that left very little space for keith and lance to interact one-to-one and I neeeed the drama.
> 
> So I split it into 2 chapters again and the first part here is over 11k words. OTL  
> I hope it wasn't too draggy or choppy to read. If it was, let me know! I won't know how to really fix it but I can try... ^^;;;;  
> Will be going through and correcting typos/errors when I have a fresh pair of eyes tomorrow.
> 
> By the way, I do go back to previous chapters to correct small continuity errors and smooth stuff out etc so if you do reread, you might notice some small changes here and there.
> 
> Sorry to take such a long time with this chapter!  
> Good news is, the next chapter's rough draft is already done so it'll come out much faster than this~~ (which is the end of the main story, leaving an epilogue and maybe a couple of side stories in future if inspiration hits me)
> 
> Also!!
> 
> Lovely fanart of mer!Lance by SakuraPetal91-san [here](http://sakura-petal91.tumblr.com/post/158023728857), check it out!
> 
> Edit: did another quick doodle of mer!lance and keithy [here](http://amarukei.tumblr.com/post/159491892043) orz (um yes keith has those 2 scars) and new one I added to chapter 3 [here](https://twitter.com/amarukei/status/852463747582967808)  
> I figured if I wanted fanart of the fic, I'll DIY and make use of my rusty doodling skills~~ :D


	8. Phoenix Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter and the next: more fire, inaccurate descriptions of burns/burn injuries, mention of survivor's guilt, pessimism, needles, emo!keith and angst
> 
> Fanart added! To see more fanart of this fic, hop over to [my tumblr](http://amarukei.tumblr.com)!

They departed for the Garrison, not before dropping off their guests in the safety of the Balmera people. Sam insisted on staying, saying he could be of some use given his ties to the Garrison.

"What are your thoughts on this, Shiro?" asked Allura. With the castleship fully powered, it would take less than half an hour to their destination.

"I don't like the sound of this," said Shiro. He looked to Sam, who shot him a concerned, knowing look. "The Garrison doesn't ask for help unless they are truly desperate...or if there's something else."

"I bet it's 'something else'," said Keith. "We need to know the situation."

"They didn't say much in the transmission we received," said Coran. "Only that the Galra is attacking and they require our immediate presence."

Pidge was focused on his headphones, tapping into the radio waves. "Their comms are asking for reinforcements over all channels. The Galra has a large battleship, a fleet of fighter pods and some ground troops. It's pretty formidable. We'd better get very, very ready."

* * *

  
The Garrison and the Galra were at a stalemate of sorts, with their leaders standing in the middle ground between the base and the Galra fleet talking. The base's guns were all pointed at the Galra with armed soldiers and fighter planes and pods on the standby. A few planes of both Galra and Garrison colours circled the area, pushing the boundaries of the other.

The castleship landed a short distance from base at the edge of the desert. Both the Galra troops and Garrison soldiers turned their attention to the newcomer, wary and ready to fight.

Allura stepped confidently out of the castleship, with Shiro and Keith a step behind her. Shiro had suggested he took the lead in case of an attack, but Allura chuckled and told him there was a reason why her pilot suit didn't have armour plating like the Paladins—plating that was made of _dragon scales_. Shiro's eyes widened and apologised, saying he didn't mean to sound like she needed to be protected. She covered her mouth as she giggled, a mischievous lilt to her words as she thanked him for his concern. Shiro stiffened for a second and Keith could see he was definitely blushing under the helmet visor. Giggling and whistling rolled into their helmet comms from the rest of the team left behind at the castle.

As they approached the stalemate, the senior officers of the Garrison facing off the Galran leaders looked at Shiro and Keith with obvious disdain on their faces. They respectfully invited Allura to stand next to them, but instead she stood between the two sides, forming a triangle. She stood tall, her face stark of emotions save her lips pulled tight into an angry line as she acknowledged the presence of both parties.

"So, an Altean survived," taunted Sendak as he looked over Allura's face and noticed her pointed ears and the luminous pink scales under her eyes. Another tall Galran officer stood next to Sendak, whom Sendak addressed as Prorok, looked Allura and her two companions over and huffed derisively.

The two Paladin's features were obscured by their helmets, but Sendak easily recognised Shiro from their previous altercation and a smug grin settled on his tight jaw. "Glad you could make it, Champion."

"Sendak. Leave and take your Galra soldiers with you," Allura started off, getting straight into her demands. "Or else."

Sendak clucks his tongue at her dismissively, "Or else what? I'm hardly threatened, Altean."

"You're not the only one with a battleship. The castleship can and will fire upon my signal," said Allura, holding up a hand. It was a bluff, but the Galra didn't have to know. The castleship was built for defense, not offense. Taking out a sentry fort or two was fine, but a battleship the size of a base? Allura could only hope no one would see through her insecurity.

"Bring the hostages," said Sendak, raising his own hand to mirror her threat.

The soldier behind him brought forward a group of young cadets, bleeding and bruised at the hands of their captors.

The officers frowned, looking more disapproving than concerned over the cadets.

"If you do not comply with our demands, we'll simply kill them," said Sendak, his cybernetic eye gleaming as he gave a confident smirk.

"If you kill the hostages, you won't have anything to bargain with," said one of the Garrison officers.

"We can always capture more," said Sendak. "And this isn't a bargain or a deal. This is a demand, but I am feeling very generous and will promise to keep my word and enter a temporary truce if you simply give us what we want."

"We cannot give you what we don't have," said the officer. He looked to Allura, who realised the whole distress signal for help wasn't for them to fight the Galra but to find them what they demanded.

Keith looked furious. Shiro focused, trying hard to think of contingency plans.

"What do you want?" said Allura, reining in her urge to spit in Sendak's face.

"We want all the Myths in the Garrison and from your ship to surrender to us," said Sendak.

"No deal," said Allura without hesitation, calling his bluff.

Prorok hissed at Sendak, who rolled his eyes and said, "Couldn't hurt to try."

"We require only the Garrison to share with us what information they have of Voltron and to return the firebird in your custody to us," said Prorok, the more diplomatic of the two. "If you do that, we will return the hostages and leave peacefully."

"I am telling you," said the Garrison officer, "we do not have such a Myth. The last firebird died over ten years ago."

"Really? Our sources tell us otherwise," said Prorok, no less hungry than Sendak in his demands. "One of our men sighted it with your soldiers quite recently."

"I am not aware," said the officer adamantly, his lips curling, insulted.

"Well then, perhaps someone is harbouring it in your base," suggested Sendak, the glint caught in his fake eye more sinister than his real one, "you just have to allow us to go in and find it."

"You have no right," insisted the officer.

"If you refuse..." said Prorok, the Galra behind him squeezing the necks of the cadets.

Keith growled and took a step out. Shiro pushed him back but it didn't stop Keith from interrupting.

"Stop that. If you want your demands met, you'll have to let them go," said Keith.

"What are you offering, boy?" said Sendak.

"I can't tell you anything about Voltron," said Keith, "but I can get you the firebird."

Shiro stepped up to his side, doing some quick thinking, "He's right. We can find it but we need time. Call off your men and let the hostages go."

"If you give us a worthy collateral, like this pretty Altean here, we can consider it," said Prorok.

Allura pursed her lips and her brows furrowed as she was about to agree but Shiro beat her to it.

"Take me."

Prorok looked at him with disinterest but Sendak took the bait and said, "Are you worth all these hostages?"

"I am the leader of the Paladins of Altea and I was an officer of the Garrison. I am sure any information I possess is worth more than any of the fresh cadets and civilians you have right now."

Sendak's grin only grew wider.

"Take him to the ship," said Sendak, satisfied with the deal. "I'll release your hostages. You have one hour to get us the firebird before I'll consider a deal. If your ship attacks us or leaves this place, we'll kill your precious Paladin and attack the Garrison. If you need to leave this place to fetch what we want, my men will bring you."

"An hour—" said the Garrison officer, quickly interrupted by Sendak's glare.

"Shiro, I—" said Keith.

"Patience," said Shiro as he let the Galra soldiers take him.

The hostages were released to the Garrison, hustled off for medical treatment. Both sides retreated a distance, with the Garrison using the precious time to bolster their defenses, set up weaponry and await reinforcements.

Keith balled his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. Shiro bought them an hour, trading himself for the Garrison.

One hour.

Shiro offering himself as a hostage could only get them so much.

Fifty-nine minutes.

He stormed into the bridge where the others were waiting.

"Shiro managed to free the hostages by offering himself as collateral," said Allura, her voice angry and slightly wavering.

"We heard it from your helmets," said Pidge. "So, what's the plan?"

"Yeah, what's the plan?" said Lance, hopping to his feet from his control chair. "Are we going to charge in with the castle, somehow sneak aboard their ship and rescue Shiro like knights saving a damsel in distress?"

"The castleship's defenses will hold," said Coran, taking inventory, "but we do not have the capabilities to attack a massive battleship like that. And we don't know where the Galra are holding Shiro."

"Whatever your plan is, it'd better be good," said Keith.

Shiro gave himself up for the cadets, for the civilians, but he _knew_ it was for Keith. He was about to tell the Galra that he was what they were looking for, but Shiro stopped him from falling into Galra hands. The Galra that tortured Shiro for a year. He couldn't let it happen all over again. The Garrison would probably happily attack the Galra once the hour was up. They never cared about Shiro a year ago and they definitely wouldn't start caring now.

_Shiro had left him to burn in that house._

_Shiro came back._

_Shiro stayed._

He didn't leave. He could have left, and he should. But he didn't, not even when Keith burned away the strength from his right arm, landing him in the Garrison's infirmary for three months. All Shiro had said to him after waking from surgery was, _"It'll be all right, baby brother."_

The Garrison never found out about his Manifestation because of Shiro. They probably suspected it, but like many things that could invite scandal, they covered it up, never to be mentioned.

He wouldn't let Shiro be written off again like he was a mistake.

He wouldn't let Shiro sacrifice himself like this.

Not for the Garrison. Not for the world.

Certainly not for him.  
  
"You're thinking so hard I can see you burning your brain out. Hey, don't worry, we'll definitely come up with a great plan," said Lance, side-eyeing Keith. "Look. We have a fricking dragon and her uncle, a really smart sphinx and his dad, a psychic witch and the Garrison's best pilot right here."

Lance's words seemed to have shook Keith out of his desperation. His frown lifted a little and his arms unfolded themselves as if he was opening himself up to listen.

"Best pilot?" said Keith.

"That'll be me. You can be my co-pilot."

Keith raised a brow and huffed, shaking his head.

"We'll get him back," grinned Lance.

"You're _quiznaking_ right," agreed Allura. "We'll get him back."

"I have a plan," said Keith.  
  
"You do?" said Lance, raising a doubtful brow.  
  
_Well, maybe it wasn't a plan but more of an ide_ a, thought Keith.  
  
"If they're after a firebird, they'll definitely be prepared for one," said Keith. "They'll be extra careful and the soldiers probably won't stand around if the firebird manifests. Like the Chimera back then, they didn't stick around unless specifically ordered to. If we can disperse the soldiers, all that's left is the battleship..."  
  
"Hey," said Lance, his face lighting up. "You're onto something here. We just need to create a big mess. Chaos. As long as we can make 'em scramble, Shiro will be fine. He can fight his own way out. We don't need to defeat them. We just need to give him an opening."  
  
Pidge pushed his glasses up his nose and scoffed at Lance, "Really? That's your big plan?"  
  
Lance rolled his eyes at him before a slow grin broke over both their faces as an understanding bloomed between them.  
  
"Guys?" asked Hunk, waiting for an explanation.  
  
Pidge brought up his tablet and drew little circles and lines to indicate the general direction of movement. "The castleship and Hunk with his bayard can disperse the pods and soldiers with their homing missiles. We can't afford to let the Galra main ship coordinate with their troops, so we'll have to start with scrambling their comms. We need someone to sneak into the Garrison, probably Lance, and tell them to begin their attack once we give the signal."  
  
"What's the signal?" said Lance.  
  
"Galra have pretty good hearing, don't they? You know how some instructors like to use _that_ to bark at us during drills?"  
  
Lance waggled a brow at Pidge. Pidge waggled a brow back.  
  
"Leave _that_  to me. Karaoke's like, my _fortissimo_ ," grinned Lance.  
  
"What about the big ship?" asked Hunk. "We can't attack the ship with Shiro in it, and we definitely can't win if we have to fight that thing."  
  
"We have to make them bring Shiro out of the ship before we start messing up their troops," said Lance.  
  
"I'll bait them out," said Keith, laying out the plan he had all along.  
  
"Don't be stupid," said Lance. "How are you going to bait them? The Galra don't want you. We don't have what they want."  
  
"Err...?" uttered Hunk. Pidge and the rest looked at Lance, a flicker of worry crossing their faces.  
  
"I _am_ what they want?" said Keith, looking at Lance, slight confusion on his face.  
  
"No, you're not," said Lance.  
  
"Not what?" blinked Keith.  
  
"You're not what they want," said Lance, a lopsided smile hanging on his cheek.  
  
"Umm...Lance, he kinda is?" said Hunk, putting a hand on Lance's shoulder. "He's a—"  
  
"He's not," barked Lance, a little too sharp.

"Okay, whatever," said Pidge, knowing not to further this discussion or push Lance's denial along. "We'll just go ahead with the plan. Keith, once Shiro's out, you can go wild."  
  
"It's likely the Galra will have something to deal with Keith's manifestation, though," said Hunk.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Pidge. "We don't know what the Galra can do, so someone's got to be on standby to free Keith if he gets caught."  
  
"I'll have both yours and Shiro's back, don't worry," said Allura, nodding to Keith. Keith took in a breath. Words from a dragon were certainly most reassuring.  
  
"Okay," said Keith.  
  
"Well then," said Coran. "I'll be checking on the castle's missile systems and castle shields."

"I'll set up something to scramble the Galra's comms," said Pidge, getting to work immediately.

Sam, who had been quiet the whole time listening in, came forward and offered, "I'll go to the Garrison and help persuade them to fight the Galra."

"That would be good, Sam," said Allura.  
  
"Right then," said Coran, clapping his hands together. "We still have time, so go get yourselves ready and be back here in fifteen minutes. Check your equipment, get a snack and take a potty break. Wouldn't want you to have your bladders bursting out there!"  
  
"Hey, Hunk," said Lance, seeing Hunk worriedly check over his bayard, checking his attunement of the balmeran crystal around his neck to it. "You owe me an iced tea."  
  
"Now?" asked Hunk.  
  
"It'll only take a minute," said Lance.  
  
"Right," said Hunk, dropping his hands from his necklace.  
  
"Hey, Mullet," Lance called out as Keith stepped out of the bridge, "where are you going?"  
  
"My room," said Keith. 

"Okay," said Lance as he grabbed Hunk's arm and pulled him towards the dining room.

 

 

* * *

   
"Are you all right, buddy?" asked Hunk as he poured boiling water over loose tea leaves and strained it effortlessly. The smell of tea filled the room and it calmed Hunk. Lance peeled the wrapper off an energy bar and poked Hunk's cheek with it. Hunk turned to grab it out of Lance's hand with his teeth and chomped it down.

"Hmm," said Lance as he absently played with the box of ice on the table. "Don't make the tea too sweet."

_He doesn't like it sweet._

"Who doesn't like it sweet?" said Hunk, raising a brow. Lance groaned. He had got to stop saying his thoughts out loud sometimes.

"Don't ask," said Lance.

"Okay," said Hunk. He poured the hot tea over a cup of ice and handed it to Lance. "Here you go, an iced tea."

"Thanks, buddy. Why don't you go make sure everyone else eats something sweet too," suggested Lance. Hunk chuckled, the tight tension beginning to roll off his shoulders as he quickly worked on making more sweet iced tea for the rest. Lance gave his friend a mock salute and took the cup off the counter, walking straight up to Keith's room.

* * *

  
He knocked on Keith's door and it opened almost immediately, with Keith gripping on his bayard and ready to exit his room.  
  
"Hey," greeted Lance.  
  
"What do you want?"

"I want to talk," said Lance.  
  
"Can't it wait until later?" said Keith, surprised.  
  
"This is a good iced tea and I'd like you to have it," said Lance, holding the cup out.  
  
"Is this really the time?" said Keith, looking down at the cup in confusion.  
  
"Just try it," said Lance. "It's really good."  
  
Keith eyed him for a second, then took the cup and sipped at it. The tea had a rich, sweet taste that filled up his nose as he swirled it around his tongue, with a sharp lemon zing kicking in with the slight bitter aftertaste of the tannins that dampened the initial sweetness, making him want to try another sip.  
  
"It's nice. Not too sweet. I like it," said Keith, licking his lips. "Thanks."  
  
"So," began Lance, his fingers running along his bayard holster, "I'm apologising for punching you in the face the other day."  
  
Keith wasn't expecting that. He fumbled a bit, and then replied, "It's okay. I did punch you back, so we're even."  
  
"Cool," said Lance.  
  
"Cool," mirrored Keith.

"Great," said Lance, swivelling on the heels of his feet, ready to leave, "I'll just..."

"Wait," said Keith, stopping Lance in his retreat. "You know I'm a....uh...back there at the bridge, you said I wasn't—"

"Yeah. Cos you're a firelord-imp or some volcanic sprite thing," said Lance.

"Er...no?" Keith raised his brows in confusion.

"Fine. I'll settle for a Chimera."

"Lance—"

Lance cut him off, blurting out, his dam breaking, "Because there's no way you can be, you know, the Myth that just destroyed an entire town by burning herself up, yeah?"

Keith could only watch, unable to interrupt as Lance argued with himself.

"You can't be one of them, right? I mean, _they_  only awaken in fire, and I'm talking about being burnt to pretty much near death to trigger their first Manifestation—how painful is that? I've only burnt my arm and it already hurt like hell," Lance was talking fast, hardly breathing. He went on, shooting out words as they came to him. 

"I read through the records Pidge dug up for us. None of them lived long after they awaken. And all of them died the same way—driven into a corner and burning themselves up until nothing but ashes were left. There's even this fancy term for it—'Phoenix Fire', because of how they literally pass a torch of doom to the next unlucky soul who inherits their Manifestation. 'Tragic' is just one way to describe their luck," Lance was beginning to tremble, working himself up into anxiety.

"Lance," said Keith, not knowing what to say except to call his name.

"You're not one of those Myths, yeah?" said Lance, his eyes already beginning to water. "You can't be, because they're so rare that no two of them are supposed to exist at the same time. There's already someone else who Manifested as one of _them_  not long ago. So it isn't you."

"Don't cry," said Keith, his hands hovering over Lance's arm, not knowing what to do.

"You're not going to go out there and burn up, are you?"

"I...I don't know," said Keith. He really didn't know. Whenever he lost control, he knew there was always the risk of losing himself to the fire and never coming back. 

"I don't even want to know what you are," said Lance, wiping a hand at his leaking eyes. "I mean, I probably do know, but I just can't say the word. I know it's pathetic. I'm pathetic. Shit, I've been crying so much lately I don't even. I want to, need to get it out, but I can't. I can't even say this one word."

" _Lance_ ," Keith called his name for the third time. He was so confused. Why would Lance be more upset than him? Why was Lance caring so _much_? Why was Lance _crying_? He wanted to tell Lance it wasn't a big deal. Being a rare fire-Myth was nothing to fuss over. He felt like maybe now, he could just say it, admit it out loud, and tell Lance that it would be okay. 

He wanted to touch Lance so much. He pressed a hand to the plate on Lance's forearm and Lance stared at the hand, then at him, and made no move to reject him. Instead, he took the hand in his and squeezed.

"What I am isn't a big deal," said Keith softly, convincing himself as much as he wanted to convince Lance.

"Say it," said Lance softly, a challenge to the both of them.

"I'm a firebird."

He'd always feared admitting it out loud, like it was a taboo, like if he said it outright, something in him would break. Now he wondered why he was ever fearful to begin with. It didn't feel too hard. It was just a fact.

Lance let go of Keith's hand and looked at the ground between them.

"Are you...afraid of me?" asked Keith.

Lance looked up at him, raised a brow and retorted, "Are you kidding? Sure, firebirds are scary like giant sharks, but you're not. You're just Keith. You're an emo-mullet-asshole-jerk. I refuse on principle to be scared of you."

His tears were still flowing, dripping from his chin. He sniffled, trying not to let his nose run because it would be really gross. It wouldn't do to look so weak in front of Keith, who was...looking _concerned_?

Lance couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly as his voice cracked, "Damn it, how are you totally so chill while I'm here bawling my eyes out like a babe?"

"I think it's because you look so much worse off than me right now," said Keith.

"Don't you dare make fun of me. It's been a rough couple of weeks."

"Anyway, you were right, Lance," said Keith, looking into his eyes and feeling guilty again. "I shouldn't have given up on the Chimera. I knew he didn't want to live. I could have tried to talk him out of it, but I didn't."

"There wasn't anything we could do," said Lance. "We were both too late. Are things between you and Shiro okay, though?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Keith. "Shiro knows I didn't mean to say those things. It's just...you know. Firebirds have lots of uh, _burning_  issues."

_Wait, did I just—_  Keith blinked, surprised at his own words.

"Oh my god," said Lance, covering his mouth with a hand. "Did you just—"

"Shut up, Lance!"

"—make a pun?"

Keith groaned in a punched-in-the-gut kind of way.

"Lance and Keith," came Pidge's voice over the castle-wise announcement system, "if you're squabbling now, please stop that and come to the bridge now. Your fifteen minutes are way over."

"Shit," said Lance as he wiped at his eyes with his gloves. Keith quickly looked around for a tissue and not finding any, he brought his hands up to Lance's face and tried to help, smearing the wetness onto his own gloves and across Lance's cheeks.

"Stop that," said Lance. "You're not helping!" He pushed Keith's hands away and giggled. He looked at his own tear-stained gloves and brought it up to smear Keith's face with it.

"Hey!" said Keith as he wriggled his face away from Lance's wet gloves.

"I'm gonna tell them you cried and then I sympathised," grinned Lance. "I'm a pretty sympathetic crier."

"Stop it, Lance," chuckled Keith as he pushed Lance's hands away from his face, starting a hand-grabbing competition. Lance paused, wrists in Keith's grip and looked him in the eyes.  
  
He was only a breath away.

"Are you happy? I mean, here, with all of us," asked Lance.

_We'll get Shiro back. Then we'll go back to training with Allura, chatting over Hunk's food, listening to Coran's stories, and getting Pidge to stop playing with his gadgets and go to sleep. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part._

_I'm a firebird. It won't last._

_But right now, I'm so happy._  
  
_I don't want this to end._  
  
Keith wanted to touch Lance's face but their hands were tied up. He leaned in and pressed his nose and lips to Lance's soft, damp cheek. When he came away, the lanky teen's eyes were wide and searching his face for an answer.

So he answered.

"Yeah, I am."

* * *

  
"Testing, testing," said Lance through the megaphone he acquired from the Garrison as he, Keith and Allura walked towards Sendak and Prorok.

"Hey," said Lance, still holding up the megaphone, "we found you the firebird but we aren't going over there until you show us Shiro's safe."

"Show us the firebird first," demanded Prorok, walking towards the middle ground with Sendak.

Keith took off his helmet.

"If you harmed Shiro, you will never get what you came here for," said Allura.

Sendak raised a brow when he saw Keith's face. His robotic eye zoomed in and compared it to the records. He waved for his men to bring Shiro out of the ship.

"We need further proof," said Prorok. "Show us your Manifestation."

"Bring Shiro here and he'll show you," said Lance on behalf of Keith, who decidedly put his helmet back on.

Prorok waved and two Galra walked a handcuffed Shiro over to them. Keith walked over with Lance and were immediately surrounded by Galra soldiers, their shields held up like a wall.

"Hi, Shiro," sing-songed Lance through the megaphone, ignoring the stink-eye the Galra were giving him. "I have a megaphone and I'm not afraid to use it."

_Now!_

That was the cue. 

Pidge cut off Lance's helmet comm. Lance opened his gills and screamed right into Sendak and Prorok's faces. He had been practising by himself and could trill on demand. The Galra around them dropped their weapons, their hands clapped to their ears in agony. Their sharp hearing was working against them now, with those nearest to him falling to their knees from the sound.

Allura and Keith had worn ear plugs beforehand and were largely unaffected. Allura kicked one of the Galra out of the way and dashed out of the opening, taking out a short baton and extended it into a staff. Wielding it skilfully, she knocked away the Galra around Shiro and grabbed his arm.

Shiro had seen it coming as soon as Lance took out the megaphone and was mentally prepared for it, but staggered from the painful, disorienting effects of the discordant sound reverberating in his skull. Allura gave up dragging him and threw him over her shoulder instead, running towards to the castle as Keith took down the rest of the Galra around them. He and Lance backed away slowly as Lance kept up the torturous screaming for as long as he could.

The Castle's missiles and Hunk, with his bayard, targeted the Galra too far to be affected by Lance's siren-scream, preventing them from rushing to Prorok's aid.

Once the noise stopped, Lance dropped the megaphone and ran towards the Garrison, where armed soldiers and tanks began rolling out and shooting at the Galra. It was chaos, and Lance snickered to himself at a trick well pulled off. The comms on his helmet were switched back on.

"Beautiful singing, Lance," came Pidge's voice.

"Shut your quiznak, you didn't hear a single note," said Lance.

"I don't think you're using that Altean word correctly," said Pidge, sending a loud beep through the helmet comm to Allura and Keith as a signal to indicate it was safe to remove their earplugs.

"He's almost correct," said Coran. "Back in Altea, we'd say _'shut your quiznaking gobs, you pack of yodelling yelmores'_."

"Coran, open the _quiznaking_  castle door and let me in," came Allura's voice, a little high and out of breath, peppered with laughter.

"Headcount check!" said Hunk, pulling back now the Garrison is launching a full attack on the stunned Galra. "I'm heading back to the castle now."

"Allura's back and putting Shiro in the pod for a bit," said Pidge. "Lance, Keith, come in."

"I'm at the Garrison now and Keith's—" Lance looked behind him, "— _not_ with me. Shit. Where are you, mullet?"

"Sorry," came Keith's voice. "Something's come up. You guys go ahead without me."

"No way. You're not pulling this crap on us," snapped Lance as he peeked out of the Garrison and scanned the area for Keith. Sendak and Prorok were back on their feet, easily knocking back the Garrison soldiers as they fell back to their battleship. The Galra ground troops were mostly engaged in battle, with the Garrison soldiers having an upper hand in terms of numbers. The battleship was the biggest threat here. Keith was—

Lance frowned. What was Keith doing right next to the battleship? There was someone else there waiting as Keith approached him. He could make out a teenage boy with dark, curled hair wearing clothes not unlike the prisoners they rescued from the Galra.

The Galra gave the two of them a wide berth. Sendak and Prorok were back in the ship while Galran soldiers were setting some sort of devices on the ground...  


_A trap.  
  
_

"Get out of there, Keith. The Galra's setting up a trap," urged Lance. There was a sound of static as Keith's helmet got cut off.  


* * *

  
Keith walked towards the boy standing in front of the Galra ship, feeling drawn to him. The energy in him stirred uneasily, vibrating and resonating with the boy's. 

"Hey, Violet," said the boy.

_How does he know it's me? He can't see my face, not with my helmet on..._

"Rings," recognised Keith.

He looked at the burns that ran up the boy's arms, fresh, dark ones barely scabbing over the marks of the others. The endless torture he must have suffered under the Galra. There was a strong fire he could sense within him, that he couldn't pull away from.

"Guessed it was you," said Rings. "The others, Frecks, Scratch, Buck, they're all gone. All burned up. You and me, we're the last ones left."

"Why...how are you here?" said Keith. His skin was tingling, itching to touch the boy in front of him, to feel their similar energies resonate with the other.

"The Galra want our cores."

"Cores?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? The previous firebird managed to split her Quintessence between all of us when she died, so every single one of us Manifested. She made the Galra work for every core. When one of us died, the core would go to the nearest one of us still alive. This way, the Galra can't get their hands on a proper firebird core until only one of us was left. She played them so well."

"Come with me," said Keith, his peripheral vision on the glowing devices being set up around them. "We need to get out of here."

Rings didn't seem like he was listening. He simply talked, his eyes looking in a distance over Keith's shoulder.

"The rest of them are dead, Violet. Frecks died last year when they put her in a gladiator pit. She went mad from being forced to fight day after day. She suffered so much, it was probably a relief when she finally burned."

"Frecks," murmured Keith, facts clicking into place. "She was the one pit against the Fae..."  


_Frecks, with her freckles, red hair covering half her face so no one could see her eyes.  
  
_

"Looks like you do know what happened," said Rings. "There can only be one firebird at a time. Until our predecessor split her core and changed all the rules."

Keith furrowed his brows, anger rising in defense of the woman who did nothing but gave him a kind smile before she left for her doom, "She did that to give us a fighting chance. The Galra came after us all. They burned every single one of us. We would have died if we hadn't Manifested."

"Scratch was the first to go," said Rings. "Burned to ashes shortly after he Manifested. Didn't last a day."  


_Scratch with his dark eyes holding back his tears as his nails carved long scratch marks along his arms.  
  
_

"And...Buck?" Keith could help but ask.

"Don't know," mumbled Rings. "Heard she ran away, then probably got caught. All I know is that she's dead now."  


_Buck with her large teeth who wolfed down every meal like it was her last.  
  
_

There was a loud clicking sound, and Keith realised the trap was set. A larger barrier surrounded them both, a purple glow covering them with an uneasy energy.

Corrupted Balmera crystals, noticed Keith, drawing out his bayard and slicing at the barrier. Galra soldiers from outside the barrier had guns trained at them.

"They're using the crystals to trap the core once it's released. We're both going to die here," said Rings, a maniacal grin growing on his face.

"You're mad," growled Keith, looking around for a crack, anything that could bring the barrier down.

"So are you," said Rings as flames flared from his skin, rising wraith-like from his arms and shoulders as crimson wings grew from his back. Keith's flames responded in turn, crimson fire covering him from head to toe, its heat a defense against the same searing red fire. He gritted his teeth as the heat began to eat through his paladin suit and into his skin.

Rings was in much less control of his fire than Keith, and obviously in pain as he burned at the barrier. The barrier was strong, but the flames might just be stronger, observed Keith.

"Rings!" cried Keith through the sound of buzzing heat around them. "If we work together, we could burn through the barrier."

"It's no use," said Rings, his grin already giving way to tears and sobbing. "I can't control it. I'm going to burn up."  


_Rings was a fighter, the one who fought the hardest, always the last to give in.  
  
_

"You can do it," said Keith. A bolt of energy shot through the barrier, aimed at them. Keith jumped and took the hit, blocking it from the other firebird.

"Violet?" whimpered Rings, shocked at Keith taking the shot for him.  


_Violet. The quiet one who only stared and never spoke. Rings was better than that. They were all better than that.  
  
_

"Don't give up. Not now," rasped Keith. 

His skin felt numb where the bolt hit his armour, the sensation spreading past throughout his body. His face felt dry and his ears were aching, cramped by the helmet. There was the taste of blood on his tongue and he wondered when his teeth had cut his lips.

"I..." said Rings.

"We're not giving up without a fight. I'll go down burning before I fall into Galra hands again," said Keith, his flames flaring out uncontrollably. If he could just focus, take out one of the devices that powered the barrier...

Rings began to laugh. A slow, soft laughter that sounded like a plea.

He began to focus on his fire as well, and the both of them aimed it at one of the devices, willing their combined flames to somehow cut through the barrier. It was like an energy shield, and Keith knew if a Chimera's talon could cut through a shield of energy, they could too, if they could just sharpen their flames.

Keith's hand instinctively went for his bayard. He jammed his bayard at the edge of the barrier on the ground, willing all his energy into his bayard and hoping it would do something. The fire spread towards his bayard, heating it up. Rings caught on and did the same, channeling as much as he could to the bayard, which eagerly absorbed the energy that bore the same signature as its paladin.

The tip of the bayard, bolstered with the flames of two firebirds, cut through the barrier and Keith put all his weight on it, willing it to reach the barrier device. The moment the bayard touched the device, it burst into flames and exploded. The barrier protected them from the blast before it powered down, leaving a hole large enough for them to get through. The Galra in the vicinity fled when they saw the contained firebirds free and felt the heat emitting from them like a pulsating wave.

"I'm glad I got to see you again, Violet," said Rings, his eyes turning a darker yellow as claw like appendages formed from flames as he took to the air.

"Me too, Rings," said Keith, taking to the air as well. The sky was safer. He looked around at the scrambling Galra. The Garrison too, retreated with haste as they saw the Myths of destruction above them.

Rings rained fire on the Galra, setting whatever he saw on fire. Keith looked at the battleship that began to stir. The large cannons didn't look like good news. There was a line of robed Galra emerging from the ship and he recognised them. Galra druids.

Rings recognised them too. He grew angry, his flames flaring out as he flew towards them.

"No! Don't!" yelled Keith, but he was too late. The Galra druids held up their staffs and shot bolts at him, stopping him in mid-flight.

Rings was falling, and Keith swooped down to soften his fall to the ground. The fire burned through his own and scorched him. He hissed as he let go as soon as Rings touched the ground.

Rings was whimpering in pain, his breathing ragged as his skin began to slowly burn.

"It hurts so much," the boy managed to cough out.

"Those bolts were Quintessence," realised Keith. "Shit. What, how...what can I do?"

The druids were approaching, shooting more of those bolts. Keith summoned up his shield and blocked it, but the bolts became numerous, reaching over and around his shield and burning through his armour, slicing the fabric from his arms. His skin turned purple where the bolts struck. He fell to his knees, gasping as his flames drowned in energy. There was too much. He felt like he could burst. 

Rings was on his feet now, his wings spreading wider, brighter, his large claws and tail painfully outstretched.

"Hold on," yelled Keith, gasping for breath in the haze of heat that was beginning to cloud his mind. He could hear thunder coming his way.   
_  
Allura._

  
"Rings!" shouted Keith. "Allura's a dragon. She can help us."

"We're _Firebirds_ ," panted Rings as he flapped his wings, the heat rolling off him and keeping the Druids at a distance. He was laughing again, a broken, shuddering sound. "There's nothing anyone can do for us. Like you said, we go down fighting. Help me, Violet. Help me get me to that ship."

Keith found himself laughing along with Rings. He could move better than Rings, which he figured was due to the Paladin suit channeling a fraction of the heat away from him. He held up his shield and moved to block the shots the Druids and Galra soldiers began throwing their way. Rings took to the air and he did too, their combined flames strong enough to fend off normal shots while Keith blocked the bolts from reaching Rings with his shield. He was taking on more Quintessence than he could bear but he felt like he could do this.

They flew over the ship and Rings dropped onto the top of it, his flame claws bending the metal and digging into it. He was slowly burning and melting a hole in it. Rings' fire was too hot. It was killing him. It would kill Keith too, if he stayed long enough.

"Get out of here," shouted Rings, his voice almost gone, like he was beginning to burn from the inside out.

"Rings," Keith shouted back.

"I'll see you later," laughed Rings as he burned a brilliant red. Parts of him were turning into white ash.

Keith knew he was seeing the end of a firebird. The only fire that could turn to ash the most powerful of fire Myths had a name:  


_Phoenix Fire.  
  
_

A long, shattering cry came from the firebird, a sound that chilled Keith to the bone and he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to approach.

Keith caught in the corner of his eye the castleship stationed in front of the Garrison, the shields up to protect most of the Garrison from the pulsing blasts of the dying firebird.

The Galra were fleeing the ship as well, pods abandoning their hangers like a swarm of bees. Rings gouged a hole and clawed his way into the ship. Keith drew up his arms and shield as the pulses of heat became even stronger. It was raining now, and a firm voice in his head was telling him to get away from the ship. He obeyed, slowly moving back from the Galra.

The smell of burning metal was everywhere as plumes of smoke pushed out of the damaged battleship. There was something familiar in the heat that was still rolling out relentlessly, drawing him in. He could see fire in the dark, stormy sky. 

_It was calling him._

He flapped his wings, reaching for that familiar feeling, something warm. He held onto it, tendrils of red curling about him, his bursting energy tempered into something sharper. His fire moulded itself into the shape of claws. Long tail feathers trailed behind him like a silk train as his outstretched pinions burned the rain around him.

He stayed in the sky for a while as the rain did nothing but turn into white steam around him.  Out of all the children who escaped, he was the only one who survived. All that was left of them were ashes in the wind and their names. He let their quintessence entwine his own, slotting in like they were missing pieces of a puzzle. 

_They burned, without reason, without rhyme. Like fire in the rain.  
_

He felt whole.

And so very empty.  
  
"We're Firebirds," he found himself echoing Rings' words.  
  
  
_I'll see you soon.  
  
_

* * *

   
"He's been there for a whole day now. It can't be healthy," said Lance, looking out at the red ball of fire perched on the wrecked Galra battleship. It was hard to see Keith's face through the constant fog that rose around him as the fire turned the rain into steam.

The Garrison was on high alert with a firebird on the loose right outside their doorstep, the junior cadets locked down in their dormitories and senior ones taking turns stationed at the guns and cannons all aimed at the one remaining threat.

Allura was in the castleship, resonating with the crystal to keep up the large-area storm. She was exhausted but kept the rain up over the battle wreckage, keeping the firebird's heat from reaching the Garrison. She put on a strong front, knowing that the Garrison would take her fatigue as weakness and an excuse to turn against her Paladins. Coran acted as a messenger and bodyguard, shooting down excuses and threats the Garrison officers shot at him as they relentlessly tried to gain entry into the castle.

Shiro had recovered and watched with Lance from a pod they sat on just outside the castle. Ever so often, he brought the binoculars to his eyes and observed, but there was hardly any change.

"You should get some sleep, Lance. I'll keep watch here and let you know if anything changes," said Shiro.

Lance shook his head. "I'm fine. You should go to Allura. She could use your help."

Shiro squeezed Lance's shoulder. He was tired, like the rest of them, worried sick over both his brother and Allura and what the Garrison might do to his team. "I'll go check on her."

"Do that. I'll call you if anything happens," assured Lance, giving him a half-hearted lopsided-grin.

Now alone, Lance swung his legs over the pod he was perched on. He had traded his paladin suit for his shirt and jacket after a quick shower. The cool rain soaked through his clothes and onto his skin, and he wondered if Keith could feel the rain at all.

He started humming a tune, something he often did when he got restless. There was nothing he could do after all. Keith was unresponsive even as they shouted at him. They daren't touch or move him lest he lost control. He wondered if he could siren-scream at Keith and jolt him out of whatever strange slump he seemed to be in at the moment, but dismissed it as a bad idea. Maybe Keith was sleep-walking, or in a trance, and shocking him awake might literally cause an explosion.

The rain was cool and he drank it in, soothing his sore throat. He hopped off the pod and took one step closer to the abandoned battleship. Another step. And another.

He began to sing. There were no lyrics he could come up with, so he filled the space around him with a wordless tune. He freed his gills and opened them up so he needn't take a breath. Scales formed on his arms as he gently worked consonant harmonics into his voice. His own voice soothed him as he took another step.

He was scared of getting burnt, but the thought of Keith burning up into ashes scared him more.

His scales now covered his legs, his back fins emerging and pressing against his shirt. A slow vibration worked its way into his voice as his gills trilled along, a cooing, purring sound that added to the rich, harmonious overtones of his song.

Lance took another step.  


* * *

  
The sound of water hissing against his wings and the crackling that came from the battleship was a constant. The smoke didn't stop billowing out and he sat at the edge of it, watching the wind and rain carry dark smoke away. His fire wouldn't subside, and he felt if he tried to stop, it would burst out of his control and consume him. He knew he was on the edge, tethered between life and death.   
  
He focused.  
  
He was still focusing. 

He directed the energy up and out. He controlled his breathing, but he was getting tired. His tail and wings heated the metal too much to be comfortable. His ears and mouth still felt weird and his skin itched. He couldn't move, however, couldn't disturb the fragile balance he was maintaining.   
  
It was getting hard to focus when he wanted to stop the pain, to stop the struggling and let the fire take over.  
  
He wanted to move, to leave this spot, but right now it took everything not to lose control. 

  
  
He thought he heard a voice, a gentle sound that seemed to make the rain a little cooler against his skin.

The singing grew a little louder. He focused on the voice, catching a soft purring under the clear, mellow voice that didn't question him or assert itself. He was unmoving, still, but his breathing steadied and he drooped his head a little as he clung onto the wordless singing that told him a simple truth: "I'm here."

It took a few more hours before the rain could finally sink into the fire.

The singing never ceased even as the last feather finally melted into the rain and he felt his body slump against the metal that was beginning to cool.  


* * *

  
When he woke, he was in a small, empty room he'd never seen before. He was in his ruined Paladin armour, lying on the floor. He could feel the burns pulling at him as he stirred, wincing in the fresh pain that was all coming back to him now he was back in the world of the conscious.

From the lines on the grey walls, it looked Garrison. One side of it was a mirror. He knew the mirror was a one-way glass. He struggled to get onto his feet and pressed his hands against the glass, wondering if he could see through to the other side and figure out where he was.

"Keith!" It was muffled, but he could hear Shiro's voice through the glass. 

"Shiro?" he croaked, pressing his ear to the mirror. He could hear more voices arguing.

Shiro was arguing with Garrison officers from what he could hear. They were refusing his request and telling him they had to go through the proper procedure of dealing with dangerous Myths. He could hear a bit of the other Paladins' voices in the background and something felt a little tight in his chest when he heard them yelling at the officers to let them see him.

A while later, two Garrison officers came into the room. He didn't see Shiro with them, so as he stood at attention, he eyed the door, ready to made a dash for it once the opportunity presented itself.

"At ease, cadet Kogane," said one of the officers. Keith obeyed on reflex, dropping his shoulders but not his wariness.

One of the officers, Keith could tell was definitely one of the heads of the Garrison from the medals pinned on his uniform, approached him and gave him a look over before firmly giving him a nod.

"You have displayed extraordinary willpower out there in the field, cadet," said the officer, giving him a kindly smile that didn't seem contrived. "We have been making headway in quintessence research and we have an offer for you."

"...offer?" said Keith, his brows knitting.

"You are free to refuse. We will abide by the treaty we have with Princess Allura, but according to Garrison protocol, we have to keep you here until you can assure us you are no longer a threat."

The pain was digging into him now and he found it hard to stay on his feet. He refused to fall back against the wall. He couldn't show weakness to soldiers.

"We understand you are a 'Firebird' Myth," said the officer. "And that you have been under the care of the Garrison since you were nine. It is our responsibility to make sure that, even if you are a Paladin of Altea, you will abide by Garrison rules. You have shown your Manifested form in front of hundreds of cadets and presented yourself as a Myth of great destruction and little control."

"However, we understand it is the nature of Firebirds to be such. It isn't your fault."

Keith raised his brows and took in the words. It felt somewhat relieving to hear those words, even from a stranger.

"If you come with us, we can promise we will do all within our means to ensure that a tragedy like a manifested firebird will never come into being again. We will focus our research on eradicating their existence completely. Even if you should pass the firebird's torch to another, it will be in a controlled situation. We promise to protect whoever inherits it and never let them be awakened."

"Research...you mean experimentation?" said Keith. He wasn't fond of it after what he went through with the Galra.

"Do not worry. Our research will be conducted with respect and only for the purpose of making sure that there won't be anymore firebirds like yourself. We'll keep you in an induced coma until we find a way to completely disperse the firebird's quintessence. You won't be in any pain at all."

Keith slumped against the wall, feeling the blood soak through the torn fabric of his suit. He looked at the officer and saw that the man was sincere. He didn't mince his words and offered him what seemed like the best solution to all his problems.

"That sounds...nice. I'm so tired," murmured Keith, his knees giving in as he slid down the wall, weary.

"Then let us help you. We will draft up a contract and discuss the terms with you. I am sure you will find it agreeable," said the decorated officer, bending on one knee to be level with Keith. It must be an unprecedented gesture from a high-ranking officer, thought Keith.

The officer stretched out a hand, waiting for Keith to take it.

"Let us end your pain."  


_It'll be the best for everyone. The world is better off without Firebirds._

_This is the right thing to do.  
  
_

Keith looked at the hand offered to him. His hand trembled with effort as he raised it, wanting to take it.   


_Maybe this is it. I don't have to worry about losing control and hurting people. They're offering to take care of everything. I don't have to worry about anything anymore.  
  
_

But he did worry. There were so many things he hadn't done. He needed to apologise to Shiro for his outburst the other day, get a return gift for Hunk, let Allura know he appreciated her training, tell Coran he was sorry for ruining the paladin suit, tell Pidge he can have his stuff, and as for Lance...  
  
  
_Are you happy?_  
  
  
Keith let his hand drop to the floor and said, "I...I want to talk to my friends."  
  
  
"Very well," said the officer, retracting his hand. "Take your time to think it through. I'm certain you'll eventually see things our way, cadet Kogane."  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>    
> 
> 
> I hope you enjoy my fanart as well, do drop a comment and let me know if you liked it! Every bit of encouragement helps!  
> More voltron fanart on [my tumblr here](http://amarukei.tumblr.com)~
> 
> [Buy Me a Coffee!](https://ko-fi.com/A324KTL)
> 
> ***
> 
> I wanted to finish this in one go but as I wrote, I realised 'hey it's the final chapter! I should really indulge myself because I set up like 60k words for this drama to be able to happen!' so here I am dragging out Keith's firebird issues over two parts~ :D
> 
> Hope you guys like the (tragic)setup for the firebirds... XD
> 
> .~.~.~.~.
> 
> Edit 1:  
>  **The truth behind the Klance scenes:**
> 
> Keith: Meh, my hands are occupied but his cheek looks soft and i wanna know what it feels like... *pushes his nose to it*  
> Lance: OMG DID HE JUST KISS ME OMG HE DID *looks at Keith in dropped-jaw surprise* IS THAT A KISS OMGGG  
> Keith: Why are you looking at me this way? Were you waiting for the answer to a previous question? Oh okay.
> 
> Keith: I can't find tissue hmm lemme use my hands to wipe your face  
> Lance: OMG HE IS TOUCHING MY FACE IS HE MAKING FUN OF ME OR DOES HE LOVE M—  
> Keith: dude your face is wet like a waterfall why is it still wet
> 
> _/end behind the scenes_  


	9. Making Important Decisions While Sleep-Deprived

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same warning as previous chapter -- vague descriptions of burn injuries, implied survivor's guilt, pessimism, needles, emo!keith and angst. Might want to avoid this if you don't like sick!Keith and bad hospital feelings.  
> There's art in this chapter, refer to End Notes for more!

Everyone all but poured into the room, hastily making a beeline for Keith, who was by then, slumped against the wall yawning. They greeted him with smiles on their faces even though they looked as exhausted as he felt.

"Hey, buddy, we're gonna get you fixed up, 'kay?" said Shiro, approaching slowly and sitting next to Keith. He put his hands on Keith's shoulder and when Keith didn't flinch, proceeded to help him peel off his armour while Hunk and Coran pulled out medical supplies.

"I can't believe they wouldn't let us come in to treat your injuries," huffed Pidge, sitting cross-legged and cursing at the Garrison. Hunk and Coran laid out the medical supplies on the floor but when Keith backed away from Coran, Shiro took on the tedious task of helping Keith clean up.

"Yeah," agreed Lance, wetting a towel with a bottle of water and passing to Shiro. "They wouldn't let us in until you were conscious and proved you were...safe."

"They're just being careful," said Keith, popping a couple of painkillers into his mouth and chewing on it.

"Never thought I'd hear you defending the Garrison," said Lance, quirking a brow.

"They did let you in, didn't they?" said Keith, feeling the cuts on his lip with his tongue.

"Pidge," said Shiro, giving Pidge an excuse to get away from the sight of blood. "Why don't you and Lance go to the ship and get us what we'll need to spend the night here?"

"Spend the night?" said Keith, surprised.

"Well, they won't let you out for a while but we managed to convince the Garrison to let us stay instead, so guess what?" said Lance.

"It's a sleepover!" announced Hunk, clapping his hands together, celebrating the surprise.

"Hunk, we could use some help," said Pidge. "Lance and I can't carry all the sleeping bags by ourselves."

Hunk got to his feet and left with Pidge and Lance. With Coran and Shiro was tending to him, he looked to Allura, who sat down, looking him over.

"How do you feel, Keith?" asked Allura. "Your energy feels different."

"It feels full and all over the place," replied Keith. "I...don't know how to describe it."

"All right," said Allura. "Do you feel anything off, like you can't control it?"

"Not more than usual," said Keith, giving her a tired smile. She smiled back, the edges of her blue eyes crinkling.

"Get some rest," said Allura, promptly taking her own advice and slumping down in a corner. Not a minute later, she was curled up on the floor sleeping.

"She's exhausted, you know," said Coran as he unrolled more bandages for Shiro to mummify Keith with. "She hasn't slept or eaten the whole time."

"I'm sorry," said Keith, feeling more guilt.

"It's all right, number four. You must be just as exhausted."

"Number four?" said Keith, raising a brow.

"I have you ranked by height, you know," said Coran, pulling at his moustache.

Keith laughed in spite of himself, and said, "Pidge isn't going to like this."

"You bet," chuckled Shiro in agreement.

"Well, seeing you're all rather chipper now, I'll be back at the Castle. Can't leave the ship empty for long, you know. The lions will get restless," said Coran.

"Lions?" asked Keith.

"The sentinels," explained Coran. "I've set them to 'guard' mode in case of trespassers."

"I hope for their own sake the Garrison didn't try to trespass," groaned Shiro. He wiped the blood and soot off Keith's back and poked lightly around the burns where some purple bruising were forming.

"If it helps, I've put up signs on the entrance saying 'No trespassing' and 'Beware of lions'," winked Coran before he exited the door.

"Quit poking," said Keith, fed up with Shiro taking his own time. He pulled the towel out of Shiro's hands and continued to clean up, impatiently wiping where he could reach.

Keith helped tie off the ends of the bandages as Shiro's metal arm still hadn't gotten the hang of the more dextrous movements required for such things. He did notice that the metal fingers were moving better now, and wondered how much practise Shiro put in to improve so much in such a short time.

"Shiro," said Keith, soft so as not to disturb the resting Allura.

"What is it?" said Shiro, raising a brow at him as he wiped his hands off with the damp towel.

"I, uh, well..."

Shiro waited patiently.

"I know you didn't ask for all this. You didn't ask to be stuck with me. I mean, I've given you nothing but trouble since the day I met you. I feel really bad about that, but honestly, I'm also glad you stuck around."

"I'm glad I stuck around too," said Shiro, smiling as he packed away the medical supplies now they were done.

"I screw up your life and that's all you say?" groaned Keith.

"Keith," chuckled Shiro. "You and me? We didn't get many choices in life, but I _chose_  to be your brother. Don't you know how happy I was when you first came to me and I realised I didn't have to do pre-dawn drills alone anymore?"

"Ugh, those things were horrible," recalled Keith, rolling his eyes at Shiro. "Also, you totally laughed at my name on the first day."

"Whoever named you had a great sense of humour," said Shiro.

"It was something the woman who rescued me from the facility said. She told me someone from the Garrison would be helping me out of there and that my name was 'Keith Kogane'."

"Do you know what your last name means?"

"Not really," said Keith. "I know it's Japanese but you never told me what it meant."

"Well, you never asked," said Shiro, a crooked smile on his face. "'Shirogane' means silver and 'Kogane' means gold. I'm assuming whoever gave you that name knew that and did it to one-up our adoptive parents."

"I'm keeping my last name," said Keith, a tired smirk on his face. "Shiro. You're getting a losing deal. I'm going to keep screwing your life up as long as I live, you know that, don't you?"

"Hmm, or you could finally learn to cook for your big brother and make his life a sweet, sweet deal," suggested Shiro.

"Eat food goo for the rest of your life," cursed Keith, jabbing him with his elbow.  


* * *

  
Lance and Hunk took a while, but when they came back they took even longer at the door. The guards had them lay out the items from their big bags and for checking. Instead of packing them back into the bag, they simply pushed the stack of items through the open door with their feet.

Pidge was holding containers of freshly made food and a paper bag from the Garrison canteen.

"Hey Keith," said Lance, fishing out out a bread roll from Pidge's paper bag, "do you want a roll?"

"Not really," replied Keith, looking at the food containers in Pidge's hands. "I think I prefer that."

Lance bent down and wagged his finger at him. "Just say yes to my question, okay? Do you want a roll?"

"Uh...yes?" tried Keith.

"Lie down," said Lance. Keith shot him a look, wondering what he was up to. Everyone else was here too, so he couldn't be up to anything too bad. He sighed and slid off the wall to lay on his side.

Lance threw a soft blanket over him, tucked it around him snugly then proceeded to sushi-roll him in it.

Pidge and Hunk spat out their drinks in laughter.

"What are you doing?" said Keith, sounding betrayed and confused at the prank played on him. He wriggled his hands out and began to push the wrapped blanket down from his shoulders.

Even Shiro was snickering along, the traitor.

"I asked if you wanted a roll, you said yes, so I gave you a roll! In a blanket!" said Lance, triumphant.

"What? I thought you were asking if I wanted a bread roll?"

Lance further explained his joke, "Yep, but 'roll' has two meanings—a bread roll, and rolling you up. It's a joke, get it?'

There was a moment of silence as comprehension slowly lit up in Keith's eyes and then he broke out laughing.

"Oh my god," said Pidge, slapping a hand to his forehead. "It's bad enough you explained the joke, but worse still that he likes it. Get married already."

"You're just jealous of my amazing jokes," drawled Lance.

"And he's not a roll, Lance,' said Pidge, glint in his eyes. "He's a _cinnamon roll_."

"Oh my god!" gasped Hunk, coincidentally holding a cinnamon shaker in his hand.

Lance's jaw dropped at that pun. "I can't believe you one-upped me just like that!"

"I'm a roll with a T," deadpanned Pidge, beating Lance at his lame-puns game.

"Oooh, troll! Good one!" commented Hunk.

Lance beckoned Pidge with a finger. "Come here, beansprout."

"What do you want, _beanpole_?" snorted Pidge. He complied, wanting to see what Lance was up to.

He steered Pidge's shoulders towards the Keith blanket roll and pushed the shorter paladin to sit down on it.

"You're on a roll."

"Oh, shut up, Lance! That was awesome!" guffawed Hunk with proud tears in his eyes.

Keith freed himself from the blanket, only to be smacked in the face by a pillow thrown his way.

It was his pillow. The flat lumpy one from his room.

"I brought your pillow. Figured you might want it. Couldn't bring the sharp, pointy dagger under it, though," said Lance.

Keith threw the pillow back, smacking it back into Lance's face with a satisfying ' _ploomph!_ '

"Oh, you're on," said Lance, standing up, clutching the pillow and drawing his arm back. Keith got up onto his feet too, painkillers having took the sting off his wounds, shaky and tired but grinning.

"It's not a pillow fight when you've only got one pillow, guys," said Hunk.

"Hunk is right," said Shiro. He gathered the small, soft pillows from the sleeping bags and playfully chucked them at Keith.

"Hey!" said Keith, batting the flying pillows away.

A stray pillow hit the napping Allura on the nose, waking the sleeping dragon. Keith swore Shiro squeaked when she narrowed her eyes at all of them and projected a low, threatening voice into their heads: _Who threw that?_

Pidge winked at Shiro and grabbed a bunch of pillows, ducking behind Shiro. Shiro blocked the shots from Keith and Lance, picking up pillows thrown his way while Pidge shot out at the others from behind his human rampart. Lance quickly paired up with Hunk and Keith looked around for a partner. Allura's gaze caught his and they both grinned. Everyone was going _down_.

"And would you look at the power pair in the right corner! I'll bet a jar of my pomade on them coming out of this victorious," came Coran's jovial commentary. "Lance is having problems with his aim now that Number Five's pushing Hunk back with the barrage—oh my, is that a power throw from Shiro? Keith is down! Can anyone top that arm?"

Allura threw a pillow at Shiro with enough force to topple him back into Pidge.

"And the princess does it, behold, her strong arm of reckoning! Down goes the Pidge and Shiro team!" commentated Coran. "With Allura and Lance the only ones left standing now, who will triumph?"

Allura raised the pillow and Lance raising his hands in swift surrender, squeaking, "Please don't hit me!"

"And here I thought you wouldn't pass on being _smacked_  by Allura," said Pidge, raising a brow.

"Look at this," said Lance, gesturing to all of himself. "None of this is made for a dragon's attack!"

"You know you've just insulted yourself, don't you?" cackled Pidge, picking up a pillow and throwing it at Lance, who grabbed it and ran after Pidge in petty vengeance, playing chase around the small room.

Keith kneaded the flat pillow in his hands as they ate, not having an appetite. He took a bite or two when Shiro nudged him, preferring to watch and wondering how he could be feeling happy and so guilty at the same time.

When they were done with their food, he cleared his throat for attention and waited, looking expectantly at the group.

"What is it?" asked Lance, helping Hunk stuff the empty containers into a bag to bring out later.

Keith dug his nails into the pillow, doubting if this was the right time to say all this, "I—I want to tell you about the other firebirds."

The whole room went quiet. Pidge, Hunk and Lance edged closer, forming a semi-circle around him. Shiro was exhausted and sat, leaning against the wall quietly as he listened. Allura and Coran stayed respectfully near Shiro.

"The one out there who...burned up, he was like me, one of the kids who escaped the Galra," said Keith. His eyes flickered down to his hands, wondering how to continue when the cadet trio barraged him with questions.

"And the Galra brought him along? Why would they do that?" asked Lance.

"They used him as bait to get me," replied Keith.

"So it's like, double-baiting?" added Hunk. "We baited them to release Shiro with Keith and they had a firebird as a bait for Keith."

"How does that work? You recognised him and they used him to lure you over?" said Pidge.

Keith raised a brow at them, not knowing if he should feel offended by they way they seemed so curious over it. He smiled inwardly and supposed he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Rings' firebird core called out to me," said Keith. "I felt drawn to him."

"So the Galra managed to create a firebird after all," said Hunk, his voice filled with worry.

"They created five, including myself," said Keith, rubbing his thumbs over his knuckles in a repeated motion, as if consoling himself.

"And how many did the Galra capture?" asked Pidge, his voice quieter, realising the weight of the question.

"The Galra got them all. Except me," murmured Keith.

"That's...that's really harsh. I'm sorry," said Hunk, arm halfway raised in instinct to hug him but dropped back down when he remembered Keith wouldn't like it. Lance wrapped an arm around Hunk's waist and let the big guy take comfort in his touch instead.

"I...want to tell you about them. They need to be remembered," said Keith. They had as much right as him to be alive, but they weren't. He didn't want them to be just ashes in the wind. He looked to the faces of his friends and they were waiting, listening.

Feeling reassured, he continued. "There were five of us who survived the Firebird quintessence injected into us. Our predecessor split her core among us when she died so that every single one of us could Manifest." His tone turned bitter as he added, "The Galra made sure we all did."

"Five firebirds," said Hunk, soft and filled with sorrow. "All Manifested."

"Rings, Scratch, Frecks and Buck, those were their names," said Keith slowly, etching their names into the memories of his new friends.

"Those are pretty interesting names, where did it come from?" asked Pidge.

"We weren't given any names," explained Keith, "so we named each other."

"So Rings was called that because...?" asked Lance.

"His hair curled like rings so we called him that," said Keith. "Scratch was because he always had scratches on his arms. Frecks had freckles and Buck, she had large teeth."

"And somehow you're 'Keith'?" said Lance, pointing at him. "That doesn't make sense."

Keith rubbed the back of his neck and decided maybe his past self would want to be remembered too. "I was 'Violet'."

"That's a pretty name they gave you. They could've called you Emolord or Mullet," said Lance.

"I didn't have a mullet back then," bit back Keith.

"Ah, so you do admit you have a mullet _now_ ," said Lance.

Keith glared at him.

"Okay. I get why they call you Violet now. You must've glared at them a lot, didn't you," scowled Lance.

"Get over it and just tell him he has pretty eyes, Lance," muttered Pidge.

"He doesn't!" spluttered Lance. "I mean, it's a nice colour but still!"

"Even I can say his violet eyes are objectively pretty," said Pidge.

"Agreed," said Hunk.

"Mine are prettier," argued Lance.

Pidge rolled his eyes at Lance, "Don't change the—"

"I agree," said Keith, cutting Pidge off.

Pidge and Hunk looked at Keith and stared incredulously.

"I think Lance's blue eyes are prettier. Especially when he's Manifested," explained Keith.

"Uhh..." said Hunk.

Lance could feel his cheeks burning. He cleared his throat and quickly pulled the conversation back to the point.

"So where are all the other firebirds now?"

Keith closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself and Lance found he really did like watching those violet eyes.

"They're dead. All of them burned. I'm the last one left," said Keith in a quiet voice.

Hunk's lips trembled as he offered, "I'm sorry."

"Did the Galra kill them for their cores?" asked Pidge, trying to make sense of it all.

"Yes, but I have all of them now," said Keith.

"And that makes you—" Lance's heart sank heavily with realisation, —"the only Firebird in the world now, doesn't it."

"Probably," said Keith. "I hope I'll be the last."

Hunk couldn't hold back any longer. He shuffled closer to Keith and opened his arms and pleaded, "Can I hug you?"

Keith relented and leaned into those large, warm arms, wrapping his own around his large friend's ribs.

"Group hug!" announced Pidge. His short arms only managed to reach halfway around Hunk's shoulder and up to Keith's elbow. "Curse my short arms!"

Lance laughed and went to the other side, stretching his longer arms around Keith and Hunk to reach Pidge's grabby hands, forming a nice hug circle.

"Oh, a group hug, how nice," deadpanned Shiro, his eyes lit up in amusement.

"Get your ass over here, Shiro," barked Keith, half laughing at the ridiculous position he was in. Shiro padded over and leaned over Pidge—whose head bumped into Shiro's belly and cursed, "I know I'm short dammit!"—and gently wrapped his arms around their necks and shoulders, nuzzling his nose against the top of Keith's head. He could hear Coran and Allura's voices joining in and two more amused faces pop into Keith's view.

Keith felt something come loose within him, like brakes gone from a bike and he couldn't stop going downhill. A sob hitched in his throat, sounding like an uncontrolled hiccup. Tears began to fall onto his lap as he kept his head down.

"Tissue, tissue," said Hunk, freeing up one of his arms around Keith and going through his pouches for tissue.

"Guys," announced Pidge, "I think we broke him."

"Yep, we did," said Lance, bending low and trying to peer up at Keith's face, who kept turning away, resolutely refusing to meet his eyes. Hunk pass him some paper towels but he shook his head, preferring to cover his face in his hands.

Shiro smiled knowingly and murmured into the whorl of his brother's unruly hair, "Are you happy?"

Keith nodded.  


* * *

  
Allura didn't protest too much as Coran ushered her out of the room, convincing her that dragon supervision was probably not needed for the night since they would only be sleeping.

They ended up talking about crappy Garrison food, conversation slow and tapering off as they sucuumbed to sleep one by one. Shiro was already fast asleep before he finished his food, drooling in his awkward sitting position against the wall, a half-eaten roll still in hand. Pidge and Hunk helped to lay their exhausted leader gently on the floor and covered him with a blanket. It wasn't long before they too fell asleep.

Lance was tired too but someone had to stay awake. He didn't want to wake Shiro—the dark rings under his eyes were getting too painful to look at—and he figured he was feeling restless so he might as well take the first shift. He noticed earlier that Keith had barely eaten or drunk. That, and with the whole being on fire for hours stint not long ago, he was sure Keith was far more tired like the rest of them but the emo guy wasn't even preparing to sleep, sitting on his sleeping bag with his arms wrapped around his knees like a sulking child, staring at some point on the wall. At this point, Lance couldn't really blame him for being a dramatic emo since he had every right to be one.

"Hey," said Keith, his chin resting on his knees, eyes half-opened and looking up at Lance.

"What?" said Lance, his voice high and cracked in surprise. Did Keith catch him staring?

"Can we talk?" mumbled Keith.

"Sure, but you sound tired," observed Lance as he made his way close. "Why not catch a snooze first?"

Keith's head and eyes were heavy but he didn't want to lie down and rest. There was something uneasy about closing his eyes. He pinched between his brows and groaned.

Lance spoke up. "If you're not feeling well, we should—" Keith vehemently shook his head— "Okay, but if you get worse, I'm going to get Allura or something. So, whaddya wanna talk about?"

Keith put a finger to his chin and considered. There were many things he wanted to ask Lance but the first question he really wanted to know the answer to was:

"Is Nessie real?" he blurted out, a little too eager, a little too loud.

A loud snort came from Pidge.

"Quiet," shushed Lance. "You're supposed to be asleep."

The room immediately quieted as Pidge obediently pretended to be sleeping once more.

Lance turned back to Keith and pursed his lips for a moment, knuckle pressed on chin as he mulled over how to go about this. "Umm, Nessie's just a story. A story based on a real sighting of the Loch Ness monster, I guess?"

"Loch Ness monster?" Keith's eyes lit up in curiosity. "Tell me."

"Ugh, you're so demanding. Why, can't go to sleep without a bedtime story?" teased Lance.

"What's a bedtime story?"

Lance blinked and stared at Keith, who simply blinked back.

"Are you kidding me," whispered Lance, wondering what sort of childhood—wait, Keith grew up in a Galra facility and was then adopted by the military. Maybe bedtime stories didn't exist in his world and that was a dumb joke to make. He cursed at himself inwardly.

Keith opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Lance holding up a hand, putting Keith on pause until he could come up with something. He pulled off his shoes and took off his socks, slipping one of them over his hand.

"What are you doing?" said Keith, puzzled.

"Okay," breathed Lance. He knew his little sister Luna loved a good ol' puppet show, and he bet his bottom scale Keith would love it too. If not, he'd rub his sock in his soulless, unappreciative mullet. "Make yourself comfortable and listen up, cos I'm gonna tell you a story."

"Why are you wearing a sock on your hand?" asked Keith, his brows knit together in confusion.

Lance matched his voice to the movement of his hand, "I'm Nessie, great giant serpent of the Loch Ness Lake. Show some respect, puny human."  
  
  


"You're just a sock," said Keith as he poked said sock with a finger. The puppet opened its fuzzy white mouth and snapped its jaws around his finger.

"Om nom nom nom," said Lance.

Keith tried to pull out his finger but the sock monster held on tight. He grabbed the neck of the puppet and pulled, only for it to let go of his finger and go after his face.

"It stinks, stop it!" shrieked Keith as he fought the Nessie sock. A grunt came from a sleeping Shiro and he clapped a hand over his mouth, reminding himself to keep it down.

"I do not stink," said the sock, Lance fighting to keep the grin off his face. "I smell like ocean waves and mermaids. Come closer. Take a whiff!"

"You smell like feet," said Keith, turning his face to avoid the sock aiming for his nose. His cheeks were sore from grinning. He kept a firm grip on Lance's wrist to keep Nessie's attack at bay, only to give Lance's free hand an opening to skitter over his ribs in a tickle-attack.

Keith froze.

 _Oh shit,_  thought Lance. He got carried away, thinking he could tickle Keith like he could Luna and in the moment forgot that Keith wasn't always keen about being touched. His socked hand still in Keith's grip, he pulled back the offending tickling hand and watched as Keith raised his other hand slowly, as if seeking permission.

Lance didn't know what Keith wanted but he nodded anyway.

Then Keith struck, his fingers scrabbling at Lance's ribs, aiming for his underarm. Lance howled and squeezed his arm closed, trapping Keith's hand while he reached out to scratch at Keith's shirtless waist. Keith batted his hand away. He twisted the socked hand out of Keith's slackened grip and doubled up his attack on the soft, bandaged belly, making more munching sounds to go with the puppet's attack. They go down wrestling the other for tickling dominance, giggling the whole way.

"Owww," groaned Keith, curled up on his side, the wounds on his back hurting from all the laughing.

Lance wiped a tear from his eye, still quietly laughing. Keith grabbed Lance's jacket, planning to pull himself up, but ended up pulling Lance down, the lanky boy crashing face first into his shoulder, bumping Keith over to lie flat on his back. Lance pushed himself up, arms on either side of Keith's head and stared at Keith, who simply stared back, face to face into each other's eyes, and Lance licked his lips nervously.

Keith reached out first, sliding a hand around the back of Lance's neck to pull him down. Lance's whole world came crashing down and he was drowning in violet eyes, trained on him, intense and filled with _want_.

"Okay," breathed Lance. It was definitely _more than okay_.

He nuzzled his nose against Keith's neck, taking in the scent of dried blood, sweat and smoke. He should be put off but when Keith moaned, a small, needy sound, his gills tingled as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. All he could think of was that he wanted. Wanted _so much_.

Keith flipped him over, reversing their positions, bandaged chest pressing against his, breath hot against his jaw.

"Can I..." whispered Keith, his gaze flickering between Lance's eyes and his lips.

"Please," begged Lance, craning his neck up as Keith hummed and closed those few inches between them, eagerly pressing their lips together.

The kiss was careful, unsure, like dipping his toes into a deep pool. The water was inviting and Lance found himself falling, drowning in the sensation of sharing the same, shuddering breath as the boy he was kissing. When Lance pulled away, his heart stopping like a wave crashed to shore, he found Keith's gaze upon him, hungry and emboldened with the knowledge that Lance wanted the same thing.

Then his tired shoulders drooped, his shaky arms trapping Lance's head between his forearms, cradling him like a precious secret, hiding it from the world. He kissed like a wild thing, chapped lips, teeth, tongue, delving, exploring what Lance was willing to give. He growled as his back hurt, reluctantly leaving those warm lips and slumping his full weight down on Lance, fitting his chin in the crook of Lance's neck.

Lanky arms wrapped around his waist and slowly sat up, carefully supporting him without putting pressure on his back. With Keith seated on his lap comfortably, the needy growling came back and chapped lips pressed against his once more.

They kissed until there was no more air but Lance would rather drown than give up on those lips. His gills flared out and Keith made a surprised noise as a breath of air filled Lance and he exhaled through their kiss.

He felt Lance's victory grin spreading against his lips and a soft trilling coming from the back of Lance's throat.

His fingers tugged at Lance's shirt collar and found the ridges of the gills. He was careful, planting feather-soft touches over the strange blue rows of scales. He pulled away despite Lance's protests and trailed down to nip along the underside of Lance's jaw to the sparse scales that trailed up his neck, his teeth unrelenting, scraping and teasing the edges of the scales until Lance was digging those long fingers into his hips, trying to pull him closer.

Lance whined, a puppy-like sound, which spurred Keith on to add more tongue to his nipping.

There was a sudden loud snore. They immediately pushed away, their hands on each other's shoulders, before turning to see Hunk stirring awake. Keith clambered off Lance's lap and sat on the sleeping bag. They stared each other for a long moment as the realisation of what they had done washed over them.

"Wow," whispered Lance, holding his burning cheeks in his hands, willing them to cool down.

"Wow," agreed Keith, his ears just as red, picking up his lumpy pillow and burying his face in it.  


* * *

  
As excited as Lance was, he eventually gave in to sleep halfway through his resumed story-telling and Hunk took over the shift.

Keith refused to lie down, sitting on a sleeping bag and hugging his knees, staring at the floor. With the renewed silence, his thoughts began to wander again. He tried to focus on Lance but the stirring pain in the back brought back images of the Galra and the burning firebird.

He kept his eyes open, staring at the floor. He dug the soles of his boots into the floor, pushing against it, pressing his aching back harder into the wall. He stayed still and kept his breathing quiet, slipping far back into a routine he used to have, one he had day after day in a small grey cell, sometimes alone, sometimes not. Quietly staring and not speaking.

Hearing Lance and Shiro's breathing helped keep his thoughts from drifting too far. He focused on that, fighting not to close his eyes.

_He was so tired._

_So very tired_

Hunk crawled over to Keith and asked, keeping his voice low, "Are you asleep?"

He didn't answer.

"Your eyes are open. Do you sleep like that?" tried Hunk again.

Keith slowly blinked.

"Hello? Are you awake?" said Hunk.

He stayed still, unresponding.

"Keith?" said Hunk, raising his voice a little.

He blinked again and raised his head slightly to look at Hunk. Hunk reached out slowly but Keith narrowed his eyes, his gaze darting around warily as he pushed back against the wall behind him.

Hunk crawled over to Shiro and patted his arm lightly.

"My turn?" said Shiro, his voice slurred with sleep.

"No," said Hunk. "Keith's acting a little weird."

"Keith?" said Shiro as he got up and shifted over. He reached out with a hand and Keith narrowed his eyes again and jerked backwards.

Shiro raised his hands and moved them away slowly.

"It's okay, Hunk," said Shiro. "I'll take this watch. You take a nap."

Hunk looked worried but decided to leave it to Shiro to take care of his own brother. He went to sit to his own sleeping bag next to Lance, who was stirring.

"What's wrong?" muttered Lance, propping himself up on his elbows. He was a pretty light sleeper, a terrible disadvantage for someone from a big, noisy family, and the talking woke him.

"I don't know," whispered Hunk to Lance. "Something feels a bit off with Keith."

"Keith, can you hear me?" said Shiro, keeping his voice soft and low.

Keith's gaze flickered to Shiro's arm and he shuddered, his breath hitching. Shiro realised what he was looking at and quickly grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders to cover his metal arm.

"Talk to me, kiddo," coaxed Shiro.

Keith slowly lifted his gaze to Shiro's face and stayed there for a long while.

"Hey," said Shiro.

Keith made a small, frustrated noise and jerked away. Lance and Hunk frowned, worried at Keith responding like a spooked animal. Pidge was still thankfully fast asleep. They knew Pidge wasn't good at solving problems like these.

Hunk and Lance began to approach but Shiro held out a hand to stop them, sternly shake his head at them. Shiro picked up another blanket and carefully made a show of holding it up in front of Keith before very slowly wrapping it around the quiet teen's shoulders. Keith's breath hitched again.

"Okay," whispered Shiro, getting up and walking to the other side of the room to sit down next to Lance and Hunk. "We'll be over here if you need us."

"What's wrong with him? Is he all right?" whispered Hunk, concerned.

"I think so," said Shiro. "He did this sometimes when he was younger. Usually he'll be fine if you give him some space and leave him be. I'll watch him. You guys get some shut-eye."

By morning, Lance felt his gills tingling uncomfortably. He had tried to rest but he couldn't fall asleep at all after that. He looked at Hunk, who had long sucuumbed to sleep, and felt a little envious of his best friend's ability to sleep almost anywhere.

Keith was still in the corner, still huddled into himself with his back against the wall. His eyes were half-lidded and his breathing was slightly laboured. That didn't seem normal. Lance looked to Shiro, who was thinking the same thing and decided to stop waiting it out.

"I'm going to touch you now," said Shiro, waiting for a response. When there was none, he carefully pressed his human hand to Keith's forehead, making sure to keep talking, hoping Keith was hearing him.

Like a spring suddenly set off, Keith flinched violently from the hand and scrambled unsteadily along the wall to get away from Shiro. He fell to his hands and knees and shakily looked around like he didn't know where he was.

" _Shit_ ," cursed Shiro.

Lance knew things were serious.

Keith slowly got back to his feet and assumed a defensive stance, eyes unfocused and baring his teeth, giving a low snarl.

The door opened and the guards stepped in, weapons ready to fire.

"No!" Shiro moved over to the guards and hissed at them. "Stand down!"

Keith backed away.

"Now!" hissed Shiro again, urgently. He moved slowly and firmly over the door to block off the doorway, blocking the unfamiliar faces from Keith's line of vision. The guards stepped back, moving out of the door but keeping their weapons trained on the threat. Shiro held a finger to his lips, gesturing to the guards to keep quiet.

He then turned back to Keith and spoke gently and firmly.

"Keith, it's okay. No one's going to hurt you."

The nervous teen reflexively reached for the dagger on his belt behind him but there was nothing there. His lips curled in distrust.

"You're safe, buddy. Go back to sleep," coaxed Shiro.

Keith's narrowed eyes flickered around the room as he backed into the empty corner he had run from. He tried to reach for his dagger again. He whimpered, becoming increasingly distressed as his hand came up empty time and again.

A soft humming filled the room and Keith's gaze moved to rest on Lance. He recognised this voice. He _knew_  it wasn't going to hurt him. Would never. Lance slowly approached him, his humming informing Keith of his proximity.

Lance was holding something in his hand and pressed it lightly to Keith's arm—it was his pillow. He took it and sniffed at it, the familiar scent of it calming. He slumped against the wall and slowly sank to his knees, turning the pillow in his hands as if searching for something.

"What's he looking for?" whispered Hunk.

"I think he wants the dagger he hides under it," Lance whispered back. "I'm gonna try something. Hand me one of your energy bars."

Hunk took out a bar from his pouch and handed it to Lance, who held it like baton, crouching low as he slid into Keith's space. He held the energy bar near the pillow and waited. When Keith's hand touched it, he curled his fingers around it and while he looked at it, it was clear on his face that his brain couldn't recognise what he was actually seeing.

The room was quiet as all of them kept very still, not daring to make a squeak. Finally, Keith fluffed the pillow and put it on the floor. A blanket had been sneakily pushed over which he grabbed and pulled around himself like a nest. He curled up, head resting on the pillow and energy bar safely in hand. He lay there, eyes still darting around, wary in the dim light.

It took a while before his eyes closed.

Lance let go of a breath he didn't know he held.

"It's all right," Shiro whispered to the guards. "It's all my fault. He was half-asleep and I spooked him. He's sleeping now."

The guards nodded, accepting his explanation and retreated from the doorway, letting the door lock behind them. Shiro sighed, relieved. He slid down against the door, leaning back and rubbed his face, exhausted.

"What was that, Shiro?" whispered Hunk, scared to raise his voice.

Pidge was up now as well, woken by the commotion.

"Like I said, he wasn't fully awake," said Shiro, keeping his voice down.

"So, are you saying that...was him _sleepwalking_?" whispered Lance.

"Something like that. He hasn't done it in a long time," frowned Shiro. "I think yesterday's events really stressed him out."

When Allura and Coran came in bringing breakfast, the only one who looked somewhat rested out of the lot was Pidge.  
 

* * *

  
Keith didn't wake until afternoon, and when he opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, the room was spinning. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, trying to ease the glare of lights irritating his eyes.

"Hey," said Lance, peering over him. "Are you really awake?"

"Hmm? What?" mumbled Keith.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" asked Lance, holding up his hand. Keith squinted. His head hurt. He turned and planted his face into his pillow and said, "Let me sleep, Lance."

Lance turned to the others and waved. "Okay, he's awake for real, guys."

Lance, Hunk and Pidge were looking at him. Shiro was sleeping in a corner and neither Allura nor Coran was around.

Keith muttered a few choice curses and pushed himself to sit up. He felt queasy and clapped a hand to his mouth as his stomach lurched, threatening to throw up its contents.

"Are you sick?" asked Hunk, hastily padding over to Keith.

Hunk moved slowly, imitating the way Shiro approached Keith last night, and pressed his hand against Keith's forehead.

"Oh no," said Hunk. "You're having a fever. We have to check if your wounds are infected."

They didn't have scissors or anything to cut the bandages with. Lance and Hunk offered to help untie them but Keith waved them off, insisting on doing it himself. His hands were shaking as he fought off another wave of nausea. He hadn't felt sick like this since he was a kid. He made a gagging sound and Hunk swiftly got a barf bag ready, and not a moment too soon, because Keith immediately threw up what little he had in his stomach as soon as he opened the bag.

Pidge had gone over to wake Shiro up, who could barely open his eyes. He took a moment to realise that Keith was making sounds of being sick and quickly made his way over to check on his brother.

Lance and Hunk knew Keith was really out of it when he allowed them to support him while Shiro pulled off the bandages, revealing large purplish splotches over the burns.

"What the hell is this," gasped Lance.

Hunk pressed his fingers to the discoloured skin and chewed on his lips, trying to read Keith's energy. "The wounds don't feel infected. This weird purple thing, whatever this is, doesn't seem to be is attacking him, but it's definitely spreading," observed Hunk.

"That doesn't look right," said Pidge, nervously pulling at the hem of his knee-length shorts. "I think we need to get him to the castle and get Coran to run a diagnostic scan. Those strange energy Galra attacks might have done something to him."

"Do you need to Manifest?" Shiro whispered in Keith's ear so the guards wouldn't overhear them.

Keith shook his head and shivered. "Feels like usual. Just cold."

"Let's get you to the castle. Can you stand?" asked Shiro.

Keith groaned and with Shiro and Hunk's support, got onto his feet. He leaned heavily against Hunk, who easily supported his weight.

"Wait, wear this," said Lance, taking off his jacket and helping Keith put it on, tucking the hood around his neck to keep him warm.

"Take him," said Shiro, motioning for Lance to support Keith in his stead. He signalled for the others to stay close to him as he approached the door.

"He's sick and requires medical attention. We have to bring him back to our ship," declared Shiro once the door cracked open.

"We can't allow this," said a guard, looking fretful. "You have to wait for the senior officers in charge to be back. We'll send in a request for a doctor."

"I doubt you have doctors who can help. Where are your officers in charge?" asked Shiro.

"They are returning from a mission and should be back soon," replied the guard.

"We can't wait around for that," said Shiro, shaking his head. If anything happens to Keith, it'll be on your heads. Now let us pass."

"We really cannot—"

Shiro activated his arm and with his Were-beast-enhanced strength, slammed the door open. In a swift motion, he pinned both guards against the wall with no effort at all.

"It's not a request," he said, sternly.

Feeling the immense gap of power between them, the guards easily surrendered and let them pass. There were more soldiers waiting for them outside, but with a firm look from Shiro, most of them gave way in respect for the ex-senior officer, and those who didn't were met with Shiro's arm pushing them out of the way for Hunk and Lance to hustle Keith into the hallway.

"Hang in there," said Hunk as he felt Keith lurch and shudder from another wave of nausea.

"He'll be all right, Pidge," said Lance, noticing Pidge's nervous twitching, knowing that Pidge was probably feeling helpless in this sort of situation. "We'll get him in a healing pod and fix him up."

"I know," said Pidge, biting his lower lip.

They spilled out of the quarantine wing only to be surrounded by armed Garrison soldiers.

"Stand down," came a voice from behind the soldiers.

"Officers," said Shiro. The other paladins instinctively straightened and as the returning senior officers approached, the soldiers parting to give way to them.

"He's sick, we need to get him to the castle now," argued Pidge.

"There is something we have to discuss with cadet Kogane before he can be released from our custody," said an officer, looking to Pidge disapprovingly and then back to Shiro.

"It will only take a while," said the officer next to him. "You don't want the Garrison after you for violating protocol."

"I understand," said Keith, shrugging Hunk off. A soldier stepped in, offering to support him but he shook his head, refusing to be touched by a stranger. Stark relief appeared on the soldier's face.

"If you wish, you may wait for us in the hall outside," offered the officer.

Shiro looked to Keith, who nodded, determined. Shiro relented, herding the others out into the hall to wait while Pidge went back to the castle to alert Allura and Coran.  


* * *

  
When Keith came to them a while later, a step behind the soldiers who guarded him out. When the soldiers stepped aside to make way for the approaching Paladins, Keith was quiet and didn't look up from the floor he was staring at.

"Let's go back," said Shiro.

Keith shook his head and said quietly, "I'm staying."

"Ehhh?" exclaimed Hunk.

"Did they threaten you?" asked Pidge. Keith looked small, the way he was hunched over and in cold sweat, and _Pidge_  was supposed to be the small one, not him.

"No," said Keith, fumbling for an explanation. "They have...some research that can help me. Help firebirds. I'm staying."

He squeezed his eyes shut as his brother stepped forward and carefully pressed a hand on his arm.

"We can help you just as well, if not better," said Shiro softly. "There's Allura and Coran, and we'll figure something out together."

"You don't understand," whispered Keith, his voice beginning to fail him. Shiro wouldn't be able to do what the Garrison has offered. He wouldn't have the heart for it and Keith wouldn't want to put him in that difficult position. "I have to do this."

"Just come back to the castle first," said Lance. He grabbed Keith's bare hand and Keith flinched, jerking his hand out of Lance's grasp.

_His hand's so cold._

"I'm sorry," murmured Keith, looking away.

"We did not threaten him," the officer spoke up. "He simply sees this as the right thing to do. We have an agreement."

Allura stepped out this time, "And what did he _agree_  to?"

"He has agreed to help us find a way to stop the tragedy that are Firebirds," said the officer.

"You cannot do that," said Allura. "He doesn't belong to you."

"We have a contract. You have no claim to him at present."

"Show it to me," demanded Allura. "He is still a Paladin of Altea. I have the right to see the contract."  
  
The officer held out a tablet to her.

"Don't," snapped Keith, turning to the officer who was complying with the princess's demand. "You said you wouldn't show it to them."

Allura scrolled through the pages of the agreement. Keith stepped out, wanting to take the tablet away but she stilled him with a stern glare. She passed the tablet over to Shiro, who quickly looked through it himself, his brow furrowing as he read the terms.

"Keith," said Shiro, looking him in the face. "Is this what you really want?"

Keith couldn't meet Shiro's eyes as he whispered, "Yes."

"What does the contract say?" said Lance. He reached out for the tablet but Shiro passed it back to Allura, who kept it out of reach of the others.

"This is an important decision that affects us. We have the right to raise questions," said Allura, summoning her diplomatic voice. "I will require a copy of this contract to make sure it does not violate the terms of our original treaty."

"Certainly," said the officer. Allura narrowed her eyes, the confidence of the officer telling her that the situation wasn't in her favour. "The Garrison will be open to you and your Paladins for the next few hours. If you have questions, you may direct them to myself or the officers-in-charge."

Lance looked at Keith, whose head still hung low, looking like a whipped puppy. He didn't know what Keith was thinking, but he knew that Keith's hand was cold and he didn't like that at all.  


* * *

  
They hastily got back to the castle, out of the cameras of the Garrison, before Allura passed the contract around for them to read.

Hunk paled as he read through the terms. "He's giving the Garrison rights to...conduct research with his quintessence? Wouldn't they be doing the same thing as the Galra?"

Pidge adjusted his glasses, narrowing his eyes as he took over and scrolled through the text. "This isn't good at all. In fact, it's the _worst_."

"It says here he's volunteered to be a subject for research on firebird quintessence and prevention of core transferrence," said Lance, peering over Pidge's shoulder.

"The terms look pretty reasonable, but..." trailed off Hunk.

"He's going to die," bit down Pidge.

"What?" said Lance. He looked at Shiro and Allura, who didn't seem the least surprised at Pidge's conclusion. "He's just being put into a coma and helping with some quintessence research, isn't it?"

"It's not just quintessence," said Hunk, realising what the contract meant. "It's his core. You can't extract a Myth's core without killing them."

"Exactly. The whole research is basically about finding a way to kill him without him burning up or passing the firebird core onto someone else," said Pidge, anger edging into his voice.

Lance frowned, grabbing the tablet back from Pidge to look through the terms once more for the details, and realising what Pidge said was true, he dropped it onto the chair.

"Does he...know this? Does Keith know he signed up for this?" said Lance.

Shiro picked up the tablet from the seat and passed it back to Allura, who continued to go through it diligently.

"He didn't want us to look at the contract," said Shiro.

"So that means he already knows what all this entails and didn't want us to know," stated Pidge plainly. He chewed on his lips, looked to Shiro and asked, "Is Keith...is being a firebird so painful for him that he wants to do this?"

"We have to do something," insisted Hunk.

"But what if this is what he wants?" murmured Shiro, the chimera incident still fresh in mind.

"It can't be," said Lance. "I don't believe it. He must've been threatened."

"Maybe the officers blackmailed him with something," said Pidge, stirred by Lance's words. "We don't know what they told him."

"Yeah," agreed Hunk. "They could've brainwashed him or something!"

"There's the possibility you are right," said Shiro, "but if he really doesn't want to come with us, we can't really make him. You know how stubborn he can be."

"Then we need to convince him or at least buy more time," said Lance, determined. "I'm not giving up on him."

"I have a couple of ideas," said Pidge, duplicating a copy of the contract to his own work station and highlighting what he thought might come in handy.

Allura looked over Pidge's shoulder and nodded. "We can use that,' she said. She pointed out another term over Pidge's shoulder, "and that last one there is arguable."

Shiro joined in and looked at what they pointed out, and approved wholeheartedly, "These ones might work, but we need hard evidence to contend that last one."

"Why couldn't he just talk it out with us instead of staying behind like that? Stupid emo, stupid mullet, stupid _Keith_ ," sulked Lance.

Pidge pulled up something from his tablet and mulled over it for a second and concluded, "Hey, secret agent Lance, I need you to sneak into the Garrison and get us some evidence."

"Tell me what you need," said Lance, sliding over to Pidge, who brought up a line of text on his workstation screen. His lips rounded into an 'ooo' as he realised what Pidge wanted.

"I can do that," said Lance as Pidge palmed him a pocket recording device, tucking it safely into his pocket. He grabs a satchel with his cadet uniform in it and saluted the rest of his crew, "I'll be right back, don't miss me too much."

"Don't worry," smiled Shiro, giving him a playful, two-finger salute. "We won't start the party without you."

"You'd better not," warned Lance.  
  


* * *

  
Keith followed the senior officers to the labs, four fully armed soldiers with tranquilizer guns and shields escorted them. One of the officers held onto his arm firmly, keeping him upright as he walked, his shaky legs threatening to give way every few steps. He recognised the infirmary he just passed. Shiro had spent time in there a few times when he served as a field officer.

There were whispers and noisy chattering that went on as they passed by the occupied rooms, with medics and senior cadets alike trailing behind them, trying to see what the soldiers were doing.

"That's the Firebird they brought in," came a loud whisper.

"Shit, isn't that Kogane? You know, the kid who drilled with us in our fourth year?"

There was more excited chattering as a gaggle of Garrison staff spread the news. Keith watched as an eager crowd began to follow them down the corridor and he curled a little more into himself, uncomfortable with the attention. He looked down at the floor and scratched at his sleeves nervously. He was glad for Lance's jacket around him like a layer of armour. Deeper in were the more advanced medical facilities and specialised quarantine rooms.

He was pulled him along until they came into a row of rooms with thick, doubled up glass windows, a room much more fortified than the one he had been kept in earlier. They had more equipment and machines with signs on the doors saying 'Authorised Personnel Only' keeping the cadets away.

It was quieter now they had left the bulk of the curious crowd behind. The officer opened the door to a large room and passed him to the staff inside.

"We'll be outside observing," said the officer, giving him a stern nod.

Some of the senior research staff in the rooms nearby gathered quickly, crowding at the large glass window. The door closed behind him, cutting off the whispers of 'Kogane' and 'Firebird', and he felt his urge to escape rise.

The Garrison staff here wore protective suits, obscuring their faces. He felt out of place, alone, under so many watchful eyes. He backed away against a wall and looked around him, instinctively mapping exits.

They carefully approached, speaking slowly and clearly, as if approaching a spooked animal, gently but persistently nudging him away from the wall. The eyes were still watching him through the window. He saw his muddied reflection in the glass: a scared boy with dark messy hair, hunched shoulders and arms raised to his chest in a half-defense crouch.

This was what he had become.

This was how he was going to end.

Nothing more than a wretched animal waiting to be put down.

A room of grey wall and glass, the sterilised smell of cleaning alcohol, steel and chemicals, foreign and looming. He could read his name off the lips of the people who threw him pitying gazes through the glass. He chewed on his lower lip and glanced towards the door.

Someone took his arm and murmured a string of reassurances as they pulled him towards an examination table. They coaxed the jacket off him and said something about giving him a shot and the next thing he knew, something sharp bit into the side of his neck and he was lying on a table, his head spinning as he squinted, the lights on the ceiling stinging his eyes. He could hear them talking, rushing about to take measurements. He wanted to get off the table, but his arms and legs were strapped down.

"There are purple marks on his skin, probably a reaction to the recent influx of energy. His core body temperature is still high and he's burning through the tranquilizer fast."  
  


_Cold_   
  


"We're giving you a shot of suppressants before we can put you under. This will sting," came a muffled voice, followed by something sharp pricking into his arm.

"The marks on his skin are receding," someone near him said. "Chart his levels."

He began to writhe as the suppressants travelled up his arm like needles up his veins, sharp and relentless, the liquid a foreign invader burning into every part of him. His body fought it with everything he had. He heard a voice screaming and crying; it was a pitiful, wounded noise. Only when he choked and coughed for air did he realise the voice was his.

"It's not working," came a panicked voice. "His energy level is fluctuating. The suppressants are having the opposite effect."

"Administer the blocker. Ready the tank for core energy extraction," said a firm voice.

Another shot of pain travelling up his arm, speeding up the bursts of pain already circulating in him. White spots danced before his eyes and he coughed, choked, coughed for air again.  
  


_Cold steel, grey walls, purple light._

_Needles, tubes, chains._

_Pain, pain, never-ending pain as the Galra transfused quintessence into him day after day after day._   
  


_Make it stop make it stop make it stop make it sto—_  
  
  
"Please," he sobbed, barely any sound coming out as his body strained uncontrollably against the straps. "You promised...no pain..."

"The blocker's working, but we need to stabilise him before we can put him in the tank," came a voice. "Lower his temperature and get the sedatives."

A gloved hand smelling of antiseptic and metal pressed against his head, stroking and trying to soothe him as he sobbed through the convulsing pain that throbbed erratically through him like blades under his skin trying to tear through.

"Don't worry, the pain will be gone soon," said the staff who attended him. "Do you want anything? I can hold your hand."  


_Don't want to hurt._

_Want to be free._  


_Blue skies._

_Blue eyes._  
  
  
Blue in the water.  
  


_Want to see that again.  
_

Keith turned his head and saw the jacket, bundled up on the corner of a table against the wall next to the measuring devices.

"Lance," gasped Keith, twitching his hand towards it. The attending staff fetched the jacket for him and loosened the strap on his forearm, allowing him to hold onto it himself.

With his freed arm, he gripped at the jacket tightly, his knuckles white from strain as he waited out the pain. He pressed his nose against the jacket's hood, taking in the familiar scent of sun and rain.

His friends would be fine. They had each other. Shiro would understand why he did what he had to do and explain it to them. They'd all move on.

Without him.

He found he didn't want them to.  
  


_Don't leave me behind.  
_

Another shot of pain through his arm. He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head, burying his face into the jacket as a firm hand continued to stroke his head and explained that the shot was to help bring down his temperature. He couldn't stop shivering as cold seeped into every corner of him like he was turning into ice from the inside. Cold metal plates were pressed onto his bare skin and drained what little heat he'd left.

The pain was numbed, giving way to a cold that sunk into his bones. He couldn't speak, couldn't stop shivering, gripping onto the jacket and he found, with a sinking feeling in his gut that he'd rather take the pain than to give into the cold. Regret. Fear. He knew once he closed his eyes, he would never wake up again.  
  


_I don't want this.  
_

He wouldn't go down without a fight.

He fought to stay awake, fought to stay warm, fought to listen to the myriad of voices that were becoming louder.  


* * *

  
"You have to stop ruining our chances for progress. Think of all the quintessence we can obtain if we find a way to keep him alive and use this power for our weapons instead," came a first voice.

"Our task is to eliminate the threat of another Phoenix Fire incident. We're not stopping the procedure," came a second.

"No, Professor Holt, you're not authorised to be in here."

"You can't do this to the poor boy. You have to release him to the Alteans," came Sam's voice.

"The Alteans will use his power just like the Galra. He's too dangerous to be given to either of them. He has to be put down."

"As we stagnate, the Galra are amassing power. They created multiple Firebirds. If we don't resume research on quintessence weaponry, we won't stand a chance against them next time."

"There are other ways to progress than building weapons. Have you seen the battleship the Galra has? Or the Altean's? Those are advanced technologies far beyond what we have. Let's be logical here. We don't yet have the means to handle that power."

"You have a point, but we do not have the time for your fancy theories."

"Stop what you're doing!"  
  


_New voices. Familiar ones.  
_

"Get out of the way!"  
  


He was fighting to hear the voices, fighting to keep his eyes open, fighting not to pass out.

The noise grew, then there was shouting. Loud angry voices coming closer.  
  


_Colours bursting through the door.  
  
_ _Someone pulling out the needles, the metal and the restraints._

_Hands on his face._

_Familiar faces. Familiar hands.  
_

"Keith, Keith. Fuck, you're a frickin' ice cube. Come on, open your eyes and talk to me."  
  


_Smells like rain and sky.  
  
_ _Lance._   


"We're getting you out of here. Work with me, okay?" pleaded Lance, pulling his dead weight off the table. Hunk came over his other side and held him up, but his legs weren't working at all.

"Let me," came his brother's voice. He felt the jacket in his grip taken from him and tucked around his shoulders as Shiro lifted him off his feet and bundled his shivering body into his arms.

Hunk's hand softly resting on his shoulder, muttering spells under his breath.

Pidge's angry, sniffling voice telling him they'd kick his ass for the stupid stunt he pulled.

Allura's using her most authorative voice to clear the way for them to pass through.

And Lance squeezing his hand, fearless of the fire roiling beneath the ice.  


* * *

  
When Keith came to, he was on a sofa with a jacket over him. Someone was sitting by his head and he rubbed his eyes, wishing his head didn't hurt so much.

"Hey," whispered Lance's voice next to him. "That was fast. You weren't even out for an hour."

Keith's whole body ached, like all his veins got taken and stretched out and then stuffed back inside him. He would give an arm for painkillers right now. Still, knowing he was alive and seeing Lance next to him made him feel strangely calm.

"What are they doing?" whispered Keith. He could hear the loud voices of Allura and Shiro arguing with the officers who took him.

"Fixing the mess you made," said Lance, adjusting the jacket over Keith. "We still can't leave yet until they can prove that your contract with the Garrison is invalid."

"Oh," said Keith.

"Be honest with me," said Lance, his face casting a shadow on Keith as he leaned over. "Was that—what you signed up for—was that what you really want?"

"I..." trailed off Keith. He knew what he ought to do, what he owed the other firebirds. But his heart was elsewhere. "I can't, I have to—"

"Let me try this again," said Lance, taking a deep breath and lowering his head next to Keith's ear so his words were for him only. "I want us to go back to the castle, steal some cookies, crack silly jokes, sit next to each other and talk about stupid things. I don't want you staying here. Don't leave us behind."

Keith closed his eyes, taking in Lance's voice.

"What do you want?" whispered Lance.

Maybe it was from the pain, or from relief of hearing how much Lance wanted him around, Keith could feel tears prickling the corner of his eyes.

"I want to be free."

"Okay," said Lance, frowning, not knowing what this meant. Did Keith want to be free from being a firebird?

"I don't want to be shut in a room. I don't want to be here," said Keith, raising his hand, brushing his knuckles over Lance's soft brown hair.

"Okay," whispered Lance, taking Keith's hand and rubbing his thumb over it gently.

"I want...what _you_ want," murmured Keith.

"Okay," said Lance, giving him a smile. "Let's do that."  
  
  
  


Hunk and Pidge stood at attention in their Paladin uniforms near the couch in the large office, behind Allura and Shiro, as if shielding Keith and Lance from the sight of the Garrison officers.

They hear Allura and Shiro dispute the terms of the contract, arguing that the officers took advantage of Keith, making him sign the contract while he wasn't in the right state of mind to refuse the offer. His injuries and the recent incident of a firebird's death made him vulnerable. Those points alone, said Allura, were enough to render the contract invalid. They had been arguing those points for the past hour and the officers were bringing up their trump card.

"Even if you think you can prove those points, the fact Kogane is a cadet here means he has to obey Garrison rules. In which case we still have the right to detain him indefinitely," argued an officer.

"So if we can prove that he's not a cadet," baited Allura, "you will no longer have any arguments?"

"He _is_  a Garrison cadet," conceded the officer. "It is stated on the records."

"So was Shiro," said Allura. "You declared him dead to the public while he was still in your records. Garrison statements to the public are unretractable. You've relinquished any rights as his employer."

"We did no such thing to cadet Kogane," said the officer.

"A senior officer of yours declared him expelled from the Garrison. It is a known fact among the cadets and instructors here that he is no longer a cadet or employee of your institution," said Allura.

"You have no proof."

"We do," said Shiro, taking out the recording device and pressed play. Lance had never been happier to hear the voice of Iverson scolding and reminding him how he was inferior to a school drop-out. "At least one of your senior employees have stated that Kogane dropped out of the Garrison due to discipline issues. Your second year cadets are all eye-witnesses we can summon to prove this."

Shiro pressed on the offensive. "So either your staff and all the cadets are lying about Keith having disciplinary issues, which is terrible for your already once-damaged reputation, or he is simply not one of your cadets."

"Looks like they're killing it," chuckled Lance, giving Keith a hand in sitting up and wrapped the jacket around him.

The officers looked at each other, their faces filled with frustration.

"Still," the officer went for his last resort, "if Kogane remains agreeable with the contract, it will override your arguments."

"Well then, Keith," said Lance out loud so everyone can hear them. "What do you say? Do you want to stay with the Garrison or go back to our home sweet Castle?"

Keith lightly punched Lance in the arm and smiled.

"I want to go home."

"There you have it," said Lance.

"Which means your previous agreement with him has been rendered invalid," said Shiro. He stood firm, making sure the officers weren't able to even make eye-contact with his brother lest they try to threaten him.

"Now," said Allura, crossing her arms, "since you have unlawfully detained and mistreated one of my Paladins, we will need to go through the terms of _our_  treaty that you have broken and decide the recompense we should receive."

"Ohhh," whispered Pidge, making his way closer to Allura to observe Altean diplomacy up close. "I want to see this."

"You probably don't want to see this," whispered Lance as he helped Keith to his feet. "She's brutal."

Keith wobbled, his legs feeling very sprained as he put his weight on them. Hunk noticed and quickly took over for Lance, holding up Keith's other side.

"I've got an idea," said Lance once they made their way out of the office. "Wait here!" He pointed finger guns at Hunk and Keith as he skipped backwards on his feet before turning the corner down the hall.

Not a minute later, Lance pushed an empty cart out and stopped in front of them, waggling his eyebrows at Keith while Hunk slapped his free hand on his thigh in amusement.

"Get in, loser," grinned Lance.

"You get in," retorted Keith, his grin equally as big as Lance's.

"Well, I'm certainly _not_ getting in there cos it'll just make me sick," said Hunk. He lifted Keith off his feet and carefully placed him into the spacious cart. "Why don't you _both_  get in and I'll push you to the castle?"

"Ohhh, that's a great idea!" said Lance as he shamelessly clambered into the cart and shoved himself next to Keith.

"May I?" asked Lance, his arm hovering over Keith's shoulders.

"Sure," shrugged Keith, and Lance wrapped an arm around his shoulders to steady him, pumping his fist into the air to give Hunk the signal to go.

"Up, up, and away!" cheered Lance and Hunk laughed, pushing them as fast as he could out the hall, down the ramps, ignoring stares and shouts along the way as they rushed out the gates into the open air.

Open sky above him, Keith took in deep breaths and let the warm breeze blow in his face, taking in the smell of the desert and the sound of laughter around him. He found himself joining them, laughing as Hunk swerved them around some rocks with Lance making up some pretentious race-cart commentary.

He could feel the red fire in him, whole and complete, not fully—and will never be—at peace, but was there to stay, settling in so deep he could no longer imagine being without it. He accepted that.

The sky was calling him.

His body still screamed in pain, but he felt like he needed this. He needed to _know_  if he could have the sky.

Hunk slowed down the cart as Keith gripped the edges of the cart and began to stand. Once the cart stopped, he climbed off and took a few steps, feeling the hard gritty sand under his boots. It was hard to walk with his legs threatening give way with every step but he needed this. He pulled the jacket off his shoulders and threw it back to Lance, who quickly hopped off the cart.

"What are you—"

"Race you," grinned Keith as he took a few more steps to put some distance between them.

Once he was far enough, he let his wings grow. With a powerful flap, he took to the sky. Yellow flames turned crimson, growing larger and stronger with every flap, steadily fanning out as he climbed. Claws, tail feathers took shape from the pure crimson fire. His wings still burned his back where they grew, but the pain didn't bother him at all. He was in the sky where no one could reach him. Up and out. His plumage was long, sweeping through the air like a curtain. He didn't know how to feel about it, but it wasn't too bad.

Lance and Hunk held up their arms as a gust of hot wind blew sand against their legs from the firebird's flight. The firebird hovered in the air and held out a hand to beckon them. Lance could see Keith's grin, taunting him.

"No fair!" yelled Lance as he started running towards the castle.

Keith laughed. Here he was, a firebird at the gates of the Garrison, flying free. Maybe he was spotted, maybe he didn't care.

He willed away his Manifestation once he was near the castle and dropped to the ground. His groaned as he landed on sore muscles and pushed himself through the entrance, stumbling through the hall. He leaned against the wall for support and Lance tumbled in shortly after, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"You cheated!"

"I won," grinned Keith, feeling light-headed on victory.

"No, you didn't," pouted Lance. "You had a headstart."

He knew this wasn't true. Keith was injured, sick, almost knocked out, probably tortured, and still managed to Manifest and race him. If anything, Lance was the one with ample chance to outrun Keith if he wanted to. He had been so taken in by the sight of a red firebird against a clear blue sky that he hadn't taken the race seriously.

"You okay?" asked Keith, noticing Lance's quiet staring.

"Yeah," said Lance, rubbing his face. "I just realised I've never really seen you fly like that before."

"Yeah?" said Keith, and realised Lance was right. "Wow, I—I've never done it for _fun_ before."

"That was pretty cool," said Lance. "Or should I say, ' _smoking hot_ '."

Keith rolled his eyes and coughed.

"So..." said Lance, a worried look coming back to his face as his gaze hovered over the fresh burns on Keith's back. "Are you gonna be okay? You know, with being a firebird and all the stuff that's happened?"

"Maybe," said Keith, coughing again. He retched, and proceeded to promptly throw up bile on Lance's shoes.

"Quiznak!" yelled Lance, trying to jump away but was too late. "Give some warning next time, would you? Geez!"

Keith wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and smirked.

"Come on, let's get you to a healing pod," groaned Lance, holding out his arms to offer support.

"Yeah," said Keith softly, taking a trembling step towards the boy with the deep blue eyes. He decided, then, it was finally okay to close his eyes and let himself fall, knowing everything would be all right when he woke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Edit 21/2/19)   
> The beautiful Klance Art is by Uragirinoteme!! Please do not repost and instead, reblog it from their [tumblr account here!](https://uragirinoteme.tumblr.com/post/171126811377) Check out their lovely art while you're at it!
> 
> Lance with sock puppet art is by me, check out the full size art from [here](http://amarukei.tumblr.com/post/160914556248)! 
> 
> \---
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with this fic so far! Every kudos and comment mean a lot to me on this Chasing Myths journey and we're on the last leg here now! (There will be fun side stories, it's not all over yet!)
> 
> As a little token of my appreciation, **I'm holding a giveaway to all those who commented and supported this fic~ I'll be picking out at random two commenters by drawing lots and sending them a set of Mer!Lance and Firebird!Keith acrylic charms~**
> 
> I'll be holding the draw a week from now (25th May)!
> 
> Winners will be contacted and announced in the notes here (or the next chapter) after that! Photo of the charms [here (the last two)](https://twitter.com/amarukei/status/862580423892664321).
> 
> **Edit : Congrats to the Chasing Myths giveaway winners Yoslina and Masterliful! Hope you enjoyed your acrylic charms! :DDD**
> 
> Also, if you are up to buying me a cup of coffee (I'm broke but I really love drinking tea) hop on over to [my ko-fi~](https://ko-fi.com/A324KTL)! Or you could go to my twitter/tumblr and buy something~ :P
> 
> Commenters are awesome, please continue to spread your positive energy and encouragement to other amazing fic writers and artists!
> 
> Also, check out my other series [A Knight And His Dragon](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10589304/chapters/23406498) if you don't mind Heith and/or are curious enough to give it a shot! It's more on the light-hearted side...I think. :D Updating that soon since the bulk of Chasing Myths is done!


	10. Fun Times At The Beach

   
Keith turned once he made it to shore and took off his helmet, freeing his peripheral vision to the full expanse of sea and sky. He found himself lightly swaying to the sound of the undulating waves breaking against the rocks that hid the beach from the rest of the world.

He felt like he could fall into the sky if he wanted.

They'd arrived at Blue Beach in the night, the castleship staying hidden, submerged under the waters. The Paladin armour and the newly installed jetpacks made it easy to maneuover to shore.

Lance left his paladin suit behind and simply dove into the water, excited to be in the open sea once more. He was the first to touch shore but doubled back immediately to swim circles around the others, showing off how fast he could go.

"Amazing view," said Shiro as he trudged up to shore and turned to look at the sea.

Pidge and Hunk got to shore right behind them. Lance lagged behind, tumbling playfully in the salty waters.

"Hurry up, Lance!" yelled Pidge, laughing when Lance splashed water in their direction.

They sat on the sand and waited until Lance finally pulled himself away from the sea and flopped to shore, tail half submerged in the shallow water.

"I forgot clothes," said Lance, throwing up his arms lazily and splashing at the shallow water.

"I've got you, buddy," said Hunk, pulling out a pair of loose boxers from one of his handy pouches on his belt and tossing it over.

"Thanks for _covering my ass_ , bro," smirked Lance.

"Good one, _bro_ ," grinned back Hunk.

Pidge groaned.

Lance made his way to the house sitting within reach of the sea where a woman was already standing on the porch, waiting with folded arms and a raised eyebrow.

"Huh. Where's everyone?" asked Lance as he picked up a hose and began washing the sand off his feet.

"Is this the first thing you say when you come home for the first time in months? I heard you even filed for deferment," said the woman. She had the same eyes as Lance but none of his sharp edges on her face.

" _Lo siento, Lala_ ," said Lance, ducking his head sheepishly in apology. He skipped behind her and massaged her shoulders, putting on his best puppy eyes, "I've got friends over, so scold me another day?"

"Fine," said Lamia, laughing and shaking her head, patting Lance's hand on her shoulder. "Well, friends of Lance, ' _mi casa es su casa_ ' and all, but take your shoes off. I don't want sand all over the floor I just cleaned."

Hunk took his boots off, putting it on a rack next to the door and the rest followed his lead.

"So, where's the rest of the family?" asked Lance.

" _Papá_ and _Mamá_  are off to spend time with Lucia in the city and won't be back till next year. Ed's at the shop and working late. You know how busy it gets this time of the year," said Lamia.

"Tourist season, got it," acknowledged Lance. He looked around, his hand over his brow like a sailor looking for land, "Where's Bela and Mart?"

"They're out with _abuela_  at Veradera," sighed Lamia. "Said she was going to teach them to swim."

"Hope she doesn't drown them," Lance sighed in sympathy.

"I'll let their father worry about that," said Lamia. She cocked a smile at the group of new faces before her. "So, are these your friends from the Garrison?"

"Sort of," said Lance. "Lamia, meet Shiro, Pidge and Keith. Shiro, Pidge and Keith, meet my eldest sister Lamia."

"Pleased to meet you," said Shiro, putting on a charming front as he shook her hand.

Keith shifted on his feet uncomfortably, not knowing what to do and itching to go back out onto the porch or to the sand. He didn't feel safe without boots on. He couldn't run off without shoes.

Lance turned to the others and shrugged. "My grandmother won't be around tonight, so I guess we should all call it a night and I'll arrange for everyone to meet tomorrow."

"A _school board_  meeting, huh," punned Lamia, looking curious. "What's it about?"

"It's about forming an alliance with the Mer. Allura and Coran will come over tomorrow and I'll explain then," said Lance.

"All right," said Lamia, grabbing her keys off the counter. "Hunk, I'm going to pick Luna up from your place. Want a ride?"

"That'll be great, thanks!" said Hunk, swiftly leaving with Lamia, eager to see his family again.

"So," said Lance, now left to play host alone, "why don't you guys change out of your armour and get ready to sleep? We'll probably have a full day tomorrow."

"You've any extra clothes I could borrow?" asked Pidge.

"Sure," said Lance. "I also have some extra large shirts that should fit Shiro."

Pidge gave him a look.

"Hey, don't judge. A big loose tee is like wearing a blanket," huffed Lance.

"I wasn't judging," said Pidge, nudging his glasses up with a finger.

"Keith's about my size so he can wear whatever's in my closet," said Lance. "But not the stuff on the top. That's the restricted section and the clothes there are not for loan."

"I don't need it," said Keith, setting his helmet on the coffee table and checking his bayard and dagger. He needed his boots, and went to the door to pull them back on.

"Keith?" ventured Shiro but was ignored as Keith marched right out the door.

"Someone must have rolled off the wrong side of the healing pod," said Lance, rolling his eyes.

"His suit didn't pick up any problems with his vitals," said Pidge. "I guess he's just grumpy today."

"Anyway, I'll just pull out the spare blankets and you guys can sleep in my room while I bunk in with Luna," said Lance.

"I can go back to the castle," said Shiro.

"I don't think you should," reminded Pidge. "Allura and Coran are busy calibrating the castle and having other people in the castle will disturb the readings."

"All right," said Shiro. "I can take the couch if Pidge prefers the room to himself."

"I'm fine with sharing," said Pidge.

"Take the room, Shiro. You need sleep," muttered Keith.

Lamia came back a while later and didn't stay, saying she needed to help at Ed's. Lance knew she was just running away from having to play host to his sudden influx of guests.

"Guys," said Lance, introducing the new addition his older sister left on the front porch, "this is my youngest sister, Luna."

She hid behind him, scanning from one face to another.

"Hey, Luna," said Pidge, waving his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," said Shiro, nodding his head.

Keith, in full armour sans helmet, pushed away from the railing where he leaned against and stared at her, tilting his head.

She stared back, blinking slowly and mirrored his tilted head.

Keith lowered his gaze and turned away and so did she. When he looked back, she had gone inside the house.

"Your sister's pretty young," said Pidge.

"She's the same age as you—twelve," said Lance.

"Fuck you, I'm sixteen."

"Shhh," said Lance, clapping his hands over Pidge's ears. "You're too young to hear yourself curse."

Shiro barked a laugh, his shoulders shaking.

Pidge slapped Lance's hands away and glared at him. "Come on, Shiro, let's go check Lance's room for secrets," he said, sticking his tongue out in defiance.

"Right," said Lance, looking at the remaining Keith whose mind seemed elsewhere. "Let's get inside and call it a night. Do you want the couch?"

"I'll keep watch," murmured Keith, looking to the sea.

"You don't need to do that," said Lance. "Blue Beach is as safe as can be."

"We have the blue lion of Voltron with us now. The Galra could come after us any time," said Keith, impatience simmering underneath.

"Allura will let us know if Galra tech comes within ten miles of the castle, so chill," said Lance.

Keith's shoulders dropped, wanting to fight his point but knowing it wasn't worth it. He didn't need Lance's permission to keep watch anyway.

He narrowed his eyes and walked away, keeping a hand on his bayard, letting its familiar weight of his ground him in this unfamiliar place.

"Sure, go ahead and make yourself uncomfortable," Lance called after him dryly.  
  


* * *

  
After an hour of patrolling and coming back to the house, Keith realised this place was too warm for full armour and began to shed it, leaving it on a chair on the porch. He sat on the steps in a tank top, feeling lethargic in the hot, humid air.

"Hey," came Lance's voice. He held out a chilled bottle of water and Keith took it, gulping it down and trying to cool off.

Lance stuck his hands into the pockets of his shorts and plopped down next to him, He wore a thin shirt over his tee, the hem lightly fluttering when the humid breeze caught on it.

"You've only just recovered. You shouldn't try so hard, y'know? The world isn't going to end just cos we took a short break—"

"That's no excuse to let our guard down," growled Keith. He was restless, tapping his foot against the ground, wanting something to do, something other than just _sitting here_. "There are civilians here. We can't put them at risk to form an alliance that might not even be useful. Why did Allura decide to take a detour here anyway?"

Lance shuddered at his words, as if he'd struck a nerve,

"I suggested it," admitted Lance, his voice unsure and wavering. "I asked Allura to come here because I thought we could form an alliance with the Mer."

"We should be out there retrieving the other lions, not wasting our time here," gritted out Keith, his eyes boring into the sky where they should _be_.

Lance's voice turned dry, staring blankly at the floor. "Is that what you think this is? A waste of your time?"

"I'm saying we should do what's important and get the lions first—"

"Sure, you're always right," snapped Lance. "Sorry for being _a waste of your time_  because I was homesick and wanted to see my family."

Keith jumped to his feet and gaped for a moment before stuttering, "Wait, that's not—"

It was too late. Lance slammed the front door behind him before Keith could get in another word in, leaving him there to stand on the steps in the dim light of the porch.  


* * *

  
He turned it over in his head and thought about why Lance took offense at his words.

_Sorry for being a waste of your time._

Lance had said that, but it wasn't true. This alliance wasn't that either. He didn't say that Lance's family wasn't important. He just wanted to get the lions first. Lance was angry. Would he leave? He didn't want Lance to leave because of something stupid he said. He had to do something.

He found himself at the door to Luna's room, knocking without a script. Lance didn't answer. He stood there for a while, trying to find the right words.

"Lance?" He waited. There was no sound from the other side of the door. He raked his fingers through his hair and hoped Lance wasn't already sleeping. "I didn't mean to, I mean, sorry if I insulted you—"

_Why were words so hard?_

"Listen, you and the others got the Blue Lion while I stayed back at the castle and did nothing. I couldn't—didn't do a single thing to help. If anything, _I_  was the one who wasted everybody's time. I was impatient and snapped at you," he growled to himself and tried harder. _Patience._  It took everything not to kick down the door. "I'm sorry."

He stood there for a while and there was no sound within. Maybe Lance wasn't listening. He sighed and turned on the balls of his feet, ready to leave when Luna bumped into him and squeaked.

"Shit!" Keith saw it was Luna and followed it with an apology. He took a step back, giving her the space she needed. She opened the door to go in. Keith peered in and saw Lance sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed and hugging a pillow. Their eyes met. Lance turned away. Keith dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Close the door behind you, Luna," came Lance's voice.

Keith knew they weren't going to talk tonight. He went back outside and decided he could at least stand guard for the night. This was familiar, something he knew how to do.  
  


* * *

  
Shiro found him a few hours later, half-asleep on the stairs, head propped uncomfortably against the rails.

"Hey," called out Shiro. Keith jerked up and looked around blearily, hand reaching for his bayard in reflex until he realised it was just Shiro.

"What is it?" Keith fumbled, quickly sucking at his lip and wiped the drying drool from his face with the back of his hand. "It's still dark. Are we doing a drill? Why are you up?"

"Can't sleep," said Shiro simply. "And please, no more pre-dawn drills until I've had ten years' worth of sleep."

"Bad dream again?" asked Keith casually.

"Just bits and pieces of memories coming back to me," shrugged Shiro. He sat down next to Keith on the steps while the younger man stretched his arms over his head, grunting as he felt something pop in his back. Shiro leaned back, propping himself up with his hands, and asked casually in return, "So, why are you sulking out here?"

"Lance is pissed at me," sighed Keith.

"Have you tried apologising?" said Shiro.

"I did," said Keith. "It didn't work."

"Hmm, he didn't seem the type to hold a grudge," said Shiro. "Do you know why he's angry?"

"Wouldn't be telling you this if I knew."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I've never done this before," groaned Keith, rubbing the back of his sore neck.

"Back at the Garrison, you could walk away after a fight, but now you can't because you value his friendship," said Shiro. He grinned and patted Keith on the shoulder. "Congratulations."

"Huh, that's why it's so hard," sighed Keith. "Thanks for explaining."

Shiro snorted. "No problem, kiddo. It's partly my fault you're so socially shortchanged."

"I guess I'll try apologising again tomorrow," said Keith. He rubbed his bare arms, finding the night sea breeze a little too cool for just a tank top. He tapped Shiro on the arm and got to his feet, passing his job to him, "Seeing you're already up, you can take the next watch. I'm going to grab some sleep."

There was a soft couch in the living room. Some toys were strewn on the floor and there was a basket next to the kitchen counter piled with clothes waiting to be washed. A green jacket sat atop of the pile. Impulse washed over him and he picked it out and sniffed at it.

It didn't smell bad enough to warrant being laundered yet, he thought.

He pulled at his black tank top and sniffed at it as well. It didn't smell of anything either because Altean fabric was pretty stink-proof. He'd been wearing whatever Coran had managed to procure him after he'd burnt through whatever he had. The tank top was Allura's—fire-proof and comfortable. She had good wardrobe choices.

He went over to the couch and moved the soft toys on it over to a chair and lay down. He pulled the jacket over his shoulders and rolled to his side, facing out with his bayard on the coffee table an arm's length away from him.

As his eyes drowsed shut, he wondered if Lance would let him borrow this jacket until he got his own back from where he'd left it at Balmera.  


* * *

  
He woke to the sound of muffled giggling, cracked his eyes open and groaned. The sun was up and he rubbed his eyes and saw Pidge and Shiro sitting on the coffee table watching him with big grins.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," sniggered Pidge.

"What time is it?" said Keith, sitting up, his voice thick from sleep.

"Almost noon," said Shiro. "We'll be heading out to Veradera beach once you're up and ready."

"The beach?"

"You should've seen Lance's face when he saw you sleeping with his jacket," chuckled Pidge.

Keith looked at the green jacket on his lap and blinked. Shit, he shouldn't be using other people's clothes without permission. He hoped he didn't piss Lance off further than he already did. He looked around the room and Shiro caught on before he could ask.

"Lance suggested we should see the situation with the Mer for ourselves," said Shiro, looking ready for the beach in swimming trunks and a shirt that had the words ' _Veradera Life_ ' printed on it. A long-sleeved windbreaker covered his metal arm. Lance wasn't kidding about owning really big shirts.

Pidge pointed at the jacket Keith held and smirked. "You should wear that to the beach."

Keith shook his head. "I don't want to piss him off even more," he muttered, getting up and dropping the jacket back into the laundry basket.

"He won't be pissed," chuckled Pidge. "In fact, he seemed pretty happy about it."

"Huh?" said Keith, blinking in confusion and turned to Shiro to confirm Pidge's observation.

"Pidge's right," nodded Shiro. "He laughed when he saw you with his jacket."

Keith tilted his head in confusion. Maybe Lance found it funny he was using dirty clothing as a blanket.  


* * *

  
Keith knew he signed up for battles and fights when he decided to be a Paladin fighting to free innocents from the Galra.

What he didn't sign up for was pulling on a ridiculous-looking red 'monofin', or in tourist terms, playing _dress up_  as a merman.

The elastic fit snugly up to his waist over his swim trunks. Despite the shimmering material, he was impressed by the worksmanship: the wrinkles on his trunks didn't show through the fabric, and despite it being thin, it was sturdy and definitely useable in the water.

With a fish tail costume hugging his hips taking away his mobility, he tried to get up, only to flop back onto the sand. He looked at the sea, realised how much sand he needed to cross to get there,and groaned.

Shiro and Allura had cleverly opted out of wearing the monofins saying they didn't want to attract any attention, what with Shiro's arm and Allura's Altean features.

Keith plopped himself down on the sand, glaring at his monofin tail and waited for Pidge and Lance to finish getting ready.

Pidge was wearing one of Lance's t-shirts that came to his hips, making him look very much at home with his shiny green tail. He wore a floppy wide-brimmed hat on his head while he sat next to an inflatable raft just outside the rental shop. He whipped out his tablet from somewhere under his shirt, prodding in calculations as he flipped the tail fin and measured the angles.

"Hey Pidgey, it's practical work today, not theory," chuckled Lance, taking Pidge's tablet from him and throwing it into his bag for safekeeping.

"Ooo, is that nanotech fabric?" Pidge grabbed the bag slung over Lance's shoulder. "Do they even make bags like these for the public?"

"Lamia designed this for divers. I'm testing it out for her," said Lance. He dangled it at Pidge, showing off the embroidered patterns on the straps and edges of the soft, transparent material. "What do you think?"

Pidge tugged the bag over and opened it, looking at the design of the compartments and the sealing zips. There was even a small, one-way plug at the corner for letting out air for deep diving. Pidge tapped at his tablet and took a few tries to get the hang of operating his tablet through the fabric. It was slip-proof and sturdy. He could probably easily take photos underwater with this setup. He let out a low whistle, impressed.

"It's good," said Pidge. "Your sister's a genius."

"Yep. That she is," said Lance, grabbing life vests from the shelves and tossing them to Pidge and Keith. "Put these on and get on the raft, guppies."

Keith flopped his tail about on the sand and tested his mobility. His feet came up to the base of the tail. He tried to hop towards the inflated raft, wobbling like an upside-down bowling pin and predictably fell flat on his face again. He decided to elbow crawl the rest of the way there.

"You could ask for help, you know," drawled Lance, hands on his hips and watching Keith's struggling in amusement.

There was nothing on Lance's face that showed displeasure. It was like nothing happened last night. Keith supposed maybe Lance just wanted to forget about it, and he found himself feeling relieved that things between them are back to normal.

"How do you even move with a tail," grumbled Keith, crawling and squirming his way into the raft.

"With practise," chuckled Lance as he bundled Keith's tail in his arms and heaved it over the raft.

Pidge watched Keith tumble into the craft gracelessly and decided to spare himself the agony. He raised his arms and glared at Lance. Lance got the message, scooping the petite green-tailed nerd under the arms and plopped him onto the raft next to Keith.

Lance pushed the raft off the sand into the water and once he was submerged to his chest, dipped under the waters for a moment. When he emerged, a shiny blue tail waved behind him. He threw his wet swim trunks over to Pidge and then hooked his elbows over the edge, pushing the raft deeper into the open sea.  
  


* * *

  
"So you're saying the Mer's okay with all these tourists playing dress-up?" asked Pidge.

"Well, the shop renting out the monofins belong to my sister's family and that one selling 'Mer photos and souvenirs' belongs to an uncle. Pretty much all the shops here are owned by the Mer," shrugged Lance. "My cousins designed those fins and Lamia's husband rents them out."

"That's clever," said Pidge, bending over to flex the material of the tail fin. "It's way more functional than it looks. I actually feel quite _pretty_  wearing this."

"Why, thank you," grinned Lance. He rested his arms on the edge of the raft and swished his tail lazily. "The Merpeople hype really helps draw tourists in. Plus, it helps the _real_  Mer blend in easily."

"The Mer are one of the few Myths that can visibly co-exist with humans," said Pidge. "Sphinxes don't come close to this level of co-existence. We've only became visible and accepted after implementing a no-Manifestation rule."

"Yeah, but the downside is that most people think Mer are air-headed party animals, you know?"

"No one said this cultural exchange was gonna be easy," said Pidge. "But hey, on the bright side, they think all Mer are pretty."

"My _pretty_ , wrinkly grandmother is at least seventy. She could be hitting a hundred, who knows," said Lance.

He spotted Ed waving to him from the shore and grinned.

He trilled and slipped under the waters. Some distance away from the raft, he made a splashing entrance for the beach-goers.

Lance did tricks, splashing wildly and waving his tail at the best angles to reflect the sun. Keith watched as the tourists around pointed excitedly at the Mer-sighting.

"Is it me," asked Keith, frowning, "or was that jump sloppy?"

"I think he's doing it for show," said Pidge, observing the tourists and taking notes. "The tourists just want to see something flashy."

"Huh," said Keith, looking between Lance and the beach-goers on shore. Lance lazily flipped out of the water again closer to shore, letting the excited tourists point and debate if he was a real Mer. He swiftly swam back under and didn't surface for a while until the tourists gave up looking for him. He popped his head out next to the raft and slid his arms over the edge of the raft, leaning his head on it next to Pidge's legs. There was no curtain call, no gloating over his performance.

"Welcome back, circus act," said Pidge, poking at the glum Mer's cheek. "Why the long face?"

"All that work and it's not like I can go up to the pretty ladies and talk to them," grumbled Lance.

"Your backflip was sloppy," said Keith.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try," said Lance.

Keith narrowed his eyes and hopped off the raft into the water. His life vest kept him afloat and made it cumbersome to swim. He tried moving the fin in the water and it jerked him back against the raft.

He unbuckled his vest and slid out of it, tossing it aside and slipping right into the water. It was harder than he thought, with his legs tied together by the elastic fabric. He couldn't bend his knees far enough to flip his fin and his struggling to maneuover pushed him deeper into the water. He needed to surface for air and start over, but his tail pushed him under the raft. He tried to grip the underside with his hands but the raft was too slippery.

Suddenly a pair of bright blue eyes were on him and lanky arms wrapped around his chest from behind. Panicked, he writhed and tried to turn around, but the arms around him were strong and unyielding as they yanked him out from under the raft, swiftly pulling him up. It took him a moment before he realised his head was above water and stopped his thrashing. He coughed up the water he swallowed and took in big gulps of air.

"Why the hell did you take your life vest off?!" yelled Lance. Keith started at the loud voice next to his ear and tried to squirm out of Lance's hold. "You could've drowned!"

"But I didn't," coughed Keith, stubbornly clinging onto his pride.

"Only because I didn't let you," said Lance,

"Well, at least he's just proven that we can't do backflips," said Pidge.

"You're lucky I'm here to save you from drowning," scolded Lance.

"Well, he did that because _you_  challenged him," pointed out Pidge.

"Let go. I can do this," gritted Keith, trying to pry Lance's hands off him and slapping his fin against Lance's tail.

"You want to swim? Fine," said Lance, dropping Keith back into the water. Keith grabbed the edge of the raft and clung on, still trying to get the hang of his monofin in the water. He couldn't keep his head above water when he tried to let go, and in the end, rested his chin on the edge of the raft as he took a break.

"Giving up already?" taunted Lance.

"No way," growled Keith. He didn't let go of his grip on the raft, knowing he'd sink once he did.

"Hey," said Lance, casually swinging an elbow over the raft next to Keith like it was a bar counter. "I'll teach you."

Keith eyed his arm and then his face, frowning.

"It's safe, I promise," said Lance. "I taught Hunk."

Keith nodded. Hunk survived, so it should be fine.

"Go do your thing and don't mind me," said Pidge, raising a brow at them then turning back to his tablet. "I'll be here. I've got lots of calculations to do and my sunscreen lasts for another hour."

Lance waited patiently for Keith to put his hands in his.

"You gotta use your hips, not your knees," said Lance, treading water and keeping both their shoulders out of the water. "You know, like spinning a hula hoop?"

"What's a hula hoop?" grumbled Keith, but he tried it anyway.

"Move your butt, not your waist, silly," chuckled Lance. Keith furrowed his brows in concentration and tried again. He lurched forward as the fin pushed against the water under him.

"Don't worry. I got you," said Lance, holding his hands and letting Keith steer them away from the raft.

"It's harder to control than it looks," admitted Keith as he pushed at the water again with his fin.

"Yeah, it is," said Lance. "I kept crashing when I first started."

"You make it look so easy," said Keith. It had only been minutes but he was getting tired. He could feel his sides burning. He needed to try harder to get the movement right—

"Hey, I don't think you should push too hard," said Lance.

"I'm fine, I—" he replied reflexively, but stopped when he looked up and saw Lance's concerned look. He stopped and looked away. "Yeah, you're right."

"You've probably got a case of lingering _healing podititis_."

Keith jerked forward as he snorted a laugh, a sharp breath tickling Lance's shoulder.

"Laughing is good," said Lance. "How are you feeling, though? Any fever, nausea?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Next time, I'll give you a warning before I throw up on you."

"You'd better," huffed Lance. "I cleaned up after you."

"Uh, I owe you one?" tried Keith.

"Cool. I'm gonna hang on to that for later," grinned Lance. Keith's shoulders were slumping and his fin barely moving. He was tired and Lance knew it. An idea hit him. "Hey, let me take you for a swim. All you have to do is hang on to me. Like a surfboard, y'know?"

"Okay...?" said Keith.

He rolled onto his back slowly and tugged at Keith's hands to hold onto his shoulders. Keith adjusted his arms, accidentally pressing against Lance's collar—"Hey, watch the gills!"—and propped himself up with his forearms to keep his head out of the water.

"Let's go," said Keith, his eyes glinting with anticipation.

Lance gave a trilled laugh at his passenger's child-like enthusiasm and announced, "Welcome aboard the Lance Express!"

His arms lazily did a backstroke as Keith held on. He could feel the water give way to them as they cut through with minimal resistance. There were barely any waves out here this far. Keith leaned over Lance's shoulder, dipping his head in the water to see what lay below the surface.

"This is nice," murmured Lance, his powerful tail pushing the water and keeping them steady. "Feels like I'm swimming with another Mer."

"Don't you swim with your family?"

"I do, but they don't have tails. It just feels different. Kinda lonely."

"I see," said Keith.

Lance mentally punched himself and groaned. "Geez, what am I saying? My situation is nowhere near Allura or yours. You're the only one of your kind in the whole friggin' world."

"I'm not lonely," said Keith. "I have Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Coran, and you. That's a lot."

"You're right. We have so much, don't we?" said Lance, a hand over his brow to shield his eyes from the sun overhead. "Who knows if we'll ever be able to come back to Earth once we go out there."

"What we're doing is important. You can do so much more as a paladin than if you stayed here," asked Keith. He hesitated, and added softly, "but if you really want to stay..."

"I'm not staying. It's just, I'll miss home, you know?" said Lance, letting the water run through his fingers. "I'll miss the sea."

"Can I take this monofin back to the castle?" said Keith.

"Why? Do you like it? I don't blame you, they're really pretty and red looks good on you."

"If I wear this and swim with you, you'll be less lonely, right?" shrugged Keith.

Lance stopped moving. They slowed and began to sink.

"Lance!"

"Oops, my bad," said Lance sheepishly, hastily paddling at the water to keep them afloat. His ears and neck felt like they were burning, and he was sure it wasn't the sun's fault.

"Keith?"

"Hmm?"

"I, uh, wanttoputmyarmsaroundyou," blurted Lance. He raised his hands, half in offer, half in surrender.

Keith grabbed Lance's nervous hands and planted them on his waist, then looked up expectantly until Lance wrapped his arms around him. His own arms circled Lance's neck and he leaned in closer, his nose close to Lance's cheek. The Mer adjusted the angle of his strokes, keeping both their heads comfortably above the water.

They went in large circles like this until Keith began to squirm, trying to reach a spot on his back with his hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Lance, tightening his hold Keith's waist to hold him steady.

"My back's itching."

"Let me help," offered Lance. Keith nodded without hesitation and Lance held up a hand, willed away the scales from it and let his gentler, manicured human nails run down Keith's back.

"Amazing," breathed Keith.

"What can I say? I'm the best there is at scratching backs...?" Lance gave a snort at his own bullshit.

"I meant your hand," Keith pointed out. "The way you can control your Manifestation so well."

"Oh, that," said Lance, finding his tongue tied being so plainly complimented.

"A little lower," said Keith.

"Right," said Lance, reaching for the spot under his shoulder blade. He could feel two long strips of scar tissue down Keith's back. "There?"

"Yeah, thanks," said Keith, sounding relieved.

Lance couldn't help but ask. "Is, uh, are these scars where your wings are? Do your wings like, burn their way out from under your skin or what?" He regretted his question immediately.

Keith didn't seem to mind.

"Allura explained that my energy turns into fire once released. The base of my wings is where it's the hottest. So...it burns from the outside in, I guess."

"Hmm."

"Scratch. Please," reminded Keith, squirming a little as the itching flared up twofold once Lance stopped scratching.

"Maybe we should get you out of the water," said Lance. "I think the seawater's making your scars itch."

"Back to Pidge?"

"Yep," popped Lance as he tilted his head back to gauge where the raft was. He steered towards it and began to head back.

Keith peeled off the fin once he got back into the raft, rubbing his knees where it was sore.

Pidge had already removed his, tired from having his legs bound together. He was leaning over the raft, lazily drawing circles in the water with a hand.

"Okay, you land raisins," said Lance, who still had enough energy like he just had breakfast, "Captain Lance will bring you back to shore now."

"Please," muttered Pidge, eyes half-lidded as he flopped his arms bonelessly to his sides.

Both raft passengers were so tired they hadn't noticed Lance already in his swim trunks as he pulled the raft onto the sand and pushed it all the way back to the rental store.

"Come on," said Lance, eager as he pulled at Keith's hand, leading him to a row of showers. "We got to wash the salt off your back."  
  


* * *

  
Lance had gone over to help out at Ed's. Pidge had wilted in the heat and slumped by the raft until Hunk came by, scooped him out and carried him into the shade of a large beach umbrella that Allura had single-handedly planted into the sand next to a sleeping Shiro. Lance loaned his niece and nephew to help her build sandcastles on top of Shiro while Pidge and Hunk took photos.

After Keith washed most of the itch off his back, he followed Pidge and Hunk to the nearby shop selling shaved ice, feeling more comfortable and relaxed with them around among the endless strangers on the beach.

After days of goo and mostly bland food, the amount of syrup in the shaved ice gave them all a sugar high. They spent the next minutes scarfing down sugar in companionable silence.

"Too sweet," said Keith, sticking out his tongue after his first bowl. Then he ordered a second.

"Hey, Hunk, how's it going?" said Ed as he came over. He was a little shorter than Lance but had the same infectious smile.

"Hi, Ed," said Hunk. "Do you need me to help out at the store?"

Ed waved him off and pulled out a chair to sit next to him. "Lance and the kids are watching it for me now while I take a break. So—" he smiled at Keith and Pidge— "how did you come to know Lance?"

"I'm Pidge. I was at the Garrison with Hunk and Lance," said Pidge.

Keith looked at Pidge, thinking to follow his example. "Keith. Ex-Garrison."

"Schoolmates, huh," said Ed, looking carefully between Keith and Pidge. "Is Lance courting any of you?"

"Ed!" admonished Hunk, nearly spitting out his drink.

"Courting?" said Keith. "Maybe Allura. He tried pick-up lines on her once."

"More than once, buddy. Most of the time it went over your head," said Pidge. "He flirts with anything that walks on two legs."

"He's not serious about Allura," said Hunk. "He's just using her to practise his pick up lines on and she knows it. He pulled one on Shiro just last week too."

"What, when? How did I miss that?" said Pidge, ears perking up. "Wait. Don't tell me. Maybe I'm better off not knowing."

"He's very dedicated when he's serious about someone, though," said Hunk.

"How so?" asked Keith, curious.

"There was the one time he really liked this girl and asked her to go out with him. She said yes. He ended up doing her homework and being her personal errand boy," said Hunk. "Dumped him a month after when he told her he ran out of money to buy her lunch."

"Eugh," said Pidge. "That's not a relationship. What did Lance see in her anyway?"

"I guess he found her pretty," said Hunk. "That, and he told me he liked her after seeing her argue with some seniors over a scandal. Turned out she wasn't playing hero; she just enjoyed making a scene."

"I remember that one," said Ed. "Poor boy moped for weeks."

"He's pretty dramatic," chuckled Pidge.

"He is," agreed Ed. "But the kid's got a good heart, so be kind to him, okay?"

"Ah," Pidge realised Ed's motive for coming over to talk to them. "I see what you did there."

"Yep," said Ed, an easy smile hanging on his lips as he shot them a finger gun and got back to work.

"By the way, Lance's family is pretty big on the whole 'courtship' thing," said Hunk, a cupped hand covering the side of his mouth to signal a gossip session underway. "When Lamia courted Ed, she brought him fresh seafood every day for a year. Fished it herself."

"Wow," said Pidge.

Keith sucked in a breath. So that was what was needed if anyone wanted to court Lance.

"That's not all. Ed cooked the seafood she gave him for her family every day without fail to show he reciprocated her feelings," said Hunk.

Keith's breath stopped as his options—he couldn't fish, couldn't cook—quickly went down to nothing.

"That's pretty hardcore for a Myth that's supposed to be easy-going," asked Pidge.

"An elaborate courtship like theirs was because Lamia was looking for a long-term monogamous relationship," added Hunk. "Stuff like non-committal relationships and consensual polygamy aren't frowned upon in their community. Lance's grandmother said Mer have naturally long lives and dislike being alone so it is common for even the most dedicated monogamous Mer to take on another mate soon after the death of their previous one."

"No wonder they're stereotyped as being licentious. So, how they court the other also depends on the sort of relationship the Mer is looking for?" mulled Pidge.

"I'm sure it boils down to consent and communication like all good relationships," chuckled Hunk, getting up to get them more drinks.

"Consent and communication," mumbled Keith to himself. He'd keep that in mind.

"What about Sphinxes?" asked Hunk. "Prof Sam told me your mother solved a hundred riddles he came up with before they decided to get married. Is that some sort of Sphinx courtship?"

"That's just my dad's way of saying they went on a hundred dates," chuckled Pidge. "My parents are a bit of an anomaly, though. Most Sphinxes aren't interested in romance and prefer to form temporary partnerships if they wish to raise children. Me, I'm interested in neither. Matt is, though."

"Lance's grandma mentioned the Mer are mostly free-spirits who enjoy co-existing with other Myths and humans. And that no two Mer communities are the same due to location and other factors," said Hunk.

"So that means Lance gets to live his own life, which is great. Now, what about Firebirds?" asked Pidge, turning the hot gossip to Keith. "Any interesting courtship instincts to speak of?"

Keith frowned, knuckle pressed against his chin as he mulled over it. He hadn't given this subject any thought until today. He shook his head and admitted, "Not that I am aware of."

"Ooo, maybe they're like Harpies," said Hunk. "Shay told me more about them a while back that a lot of young Harpies like to make themselves physically appealing to their romantic interests and it usually involves lots of movement and colours."

"Probably cos they tend to have poor eyesight. Hey, how did Shay know all that?" asked Pidge.

"They used to sometimes nest near Balmera before the Galra took over," said Hunk. "Shay loved how beautiful they look when they danced in pairs in the skies."

"Most avian-types Myths we know about are solitary or monogamous," said Pidge. "There are no records of firebirds regarding this, though there are a lot of hypotheses. The only thing I can say so far about Keith is that he might build a nest."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Keith, blinking in puzzlement over Pidge's hypothesis.

"Because cinnamon," said Pidge.

"Because cinnamon," Hunk nodded.

"That doesn't make any sense," groaned Keith, rolling his eyes.

"What doesn't make any sense?" chirped Lance, giving Hunk a friendly shoulder squeeze before pulling up a stool to sit next to him.

"Pidge says I might build a nest 'because cinnamon'," said Keith.

"Oookay," said Lance. "You've completely lost me there."  


* * *

  
They had a meeting with the Mer in the evening at Lance's place, and it went smoother than Allura anticipated. Hunk's mother was there too, representing the small local community of witches. Lance's grandmother had given Lance the final say in the alliance and left, not lingering one second longer than she had to in a diplomatic meeting.

"Ugh," groaned Lance. "Figured she'd slippery-eel her way out of this."

"Don't worry," said Hunk's mother. "The Merfolk here listens to me. I can be your middleman for now, but eventually you need to earn the community's trust and respect with your own merits."

"Yippee, I'll put it on my to-do list then," said Lance flatly. "Thanks, _Tia_  Rona."

"Get Hunk to help you, then," chuckled Rona. "And Hunk dear, who's this 'Shay' person I keep hearing about?"

"Mom!" said Hunk, frantically waving his hands to stop her from talking.

"All right," said Shiro, ending the meeting. "Now we have have an agreement, we can go through the details of our treaty over the comms later this week. There's no rush."

"Thanks, Shiro," said Lance, quickly making his way out of the house, tired from juggling his noisy, nosy relatives all eager to see Alteans. As much as he loved being around people, it was a little too much too fast today.

He took in the damp sea breeze and stretched, not surprised to see Keith already out on the beach, far away from the crowd.

Curious, he jogged over, watching as Keith bent down to pick up another shell to examine.

"Picking seashells?" grinned Lance.

Keith turned away from him immediately, hiding his findings into his bulging pouches. He wore a familiar dark tank top and pants instead of borrowed clothes like the others. He had his boots on and Lance had to do a double take at that, but he wasn't judging. He wouldn't judge. Maybe later, he thought.

"Find anything interesting?" said Lance, circling around to face Keith.

Keith shrugged. "This whole place has a weird smell."

Lance gaped for a moment before he stuttered, "What?"

"I was wondering why this smells familiar even though I've never been here before, and I realised it smells like you," said Keith.

Lance sniffed at his arm and frowned. "Rude. I don't smell weird."

"It's not a bad smell. Just really different," said Keith, looking away for a moment, then looked down and idly kicked at the sand below, adding softly, "I think I like it."

"The hell—" hissed Lance, recalling how he saw Keith sleeping with his jacket that morning. He shook his head, feeling his ears tingle and burn and his throat getting thick with emotion as his heart burst with fondness for the third time today. "You can't just say things like that! That's totally unfair!"

"Unfair? How so?" chuckled Keith, amused at Lance's expressive face.

"You're being all...too adorable!" said Lance, throwing his hands in the air.

Keith choked. "I'm not!"

"You are!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

"Damn it, Lance, I—" Keith stopped when he realised Lance's eyes were filled with tears. "Are you crying?"

"I'm laughing at how ridiculous this is," said Lance.

Keith blinked, and then joined in and laughed. "You're right. We're ridiculous," he huffed.

"So," said Lance, wiping his tears away, "what are we now? Are we like, a thing? You, me, on the beach? Together?"

"You can be a thing. I'll be a person, thank you."

"Oh gods, Keith!" cried Lance. "I'm so proud of you. You can joke!"

Keith rolled his eyes.

"Jokes aside, I hope that wasn't you rejecting me. Was it? Please don't reject me. Not completely. At least go out with me on a date first," rambled Lance.

"Lance," said Keith, realising he had wanted this for a while now, "I choose you."

"What does that mean? Does it mean, like, I get to be your starter pokémon?" said Lance, his mind no longer thinking through the words as he babbled on. "If you don't want to go out with me on a date, maybe we can at least hang out like buddies? Watch a movie like buddies do? You can call me 'bud', but if it's you, I'd really prefer 'ace pilot', 'babe' or ' _cariño_ '—"

"Shut up and let me kiss you."

Lance shut up.

And let Keith kiss him.

  
They held hands as they strolled along the beach, Keith's eyes on the sand the whole time while Lance looked around. Neither of them spoke, still letting their actions sink in.

Keith suddenly let go of Lance's hand and bent down, picking out something that caught his eye. He let the sand filter through his fingers and washed it in the water. As he held it against the sky, it shone red as if its core was set aflame in the sunset while the edges were tinged with blue and turquoise from the sea.

"That's my stone!" gasped Lance as he ran over and grabbed the stone from Keith's fingers.

"I picked it up—"

"I found this when I first Manifested, then I lost it," said Lance, turning the stone over in his hand, his face filled with disbelief. "I never thought I'd ever see it again."

"How old were you when that happened?"

"Nine," said Lance. "What about you?"

"Around the same age, I think," said Keith.

"This pretty stone's mine now," announced Lance, waving it proudly.

Keith's gaze following the shiny pebble. He was glad Lance liked it. It was beautiful and he wished he could've taken another closer look at it.

"Hey, when's your birthday?" asked Lance out of the blue.

"I don't know," shrugged Keith. "Shiro said it was probably late in the year."

"Then today's just as good a day as any. How about it?"

"How about what?" Keith peered up at the lopsided smile hanging on Lance's face.

"Your birthday doesn't have to be today, but I just felt like celebrating your birthday with you. How about it?" winked Lance.

"Sure?" said Keith, a little apprehensive but also excited to see what Lance was going to do.

"Great! Birthday boy gets a song," grinned Lance. He took a breath and began to warble, deliberately off-tune and sounding like a screaming chicken, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you—"

"Stop that," chuckled Keith, the dimple on his cheek Lance had come to adore was there. He pressed a hand over Lance's mouth to shut him up. "If that's what I get for having a birthday, I don't want it."

Lance peeled off Keith's hand and took it into his own, swinging it up and down as he continued, this time blessedly in tune. Keith laughed.

"Happy Birthday to Keeeith," sang Lance, then he dropped his voice to almost a whisper. "Happy birthday to you."  
  
Lance pressed the red stone into Keith's palm.  
  
"Congratulations, you get a shiny pebble."

"Doesn't this rock mean a lot to you? Why are you giving it to me?"

"It does, and that's why," said Lance.

"This doesn't make sense," said Keith.

" _You_  don't make sense," teased Lance.

"That's it, I'm keeping this because you don't deserve it," scowled Keith. He took one of his pouches and emptied it out to make space for the stone.

"Are you going to put it in your room?" asked Lance.

"Hmm," considered Keith.

"How about putting it next to your dagger..." suggested Lance.

Keith levelled a glare at Lance, daring him to finish his sentence.

"In your pillow," finished Lance.

"Under," corrected Keith, rolling his eyes hard.

They both broke out into laughter.

"I'd be honoured if you put it _under_  your pillow," said Lance, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes,

"I'll consider it," chuckled Keith, his stomach beginning to ache from the laughing.

"Hey," said Lance. "I've got a crazy idea."

"What?" asked Keith, not holding back the anticipation in his tone.

"I want to see you up close. Manifested."

"It's dangerous," said Keith, but his eyes were glinting. "Do you have a plan?

"Yeah," grinned Lance. "I do."  
  


* * *

  
Pidge had just finished carrying in the extra bedding into Lance's bedroom when the glint of light outside the window caught his attention. A smile spread across his face as he ran out the door, yelling for Hunk and Shiro.

In the sky, a red fire dove down, swooping up before it hit the sea.

"Keith?" gasped Shiro. "Why is he Manifested?"

"Look," said Pidge, pointing towards the sea some distance from the fire. A streak of blue leapt out of the dark waters, gleaming gold where the light hit. A large sail-like fin fully spread out reflected the fire and moonlight as the blue figure dove back into the sea.

The Firebird swooped and pulled back, a beautiful circle formed with the light of his crimson fire.

Like an echo a safe distance away, the Mer shot into the air and arced into a graceful front flip, a soft glowing blue mirroring the circle of light the Firebird had created.

They continued this, taking turns to mirror the other like a dance.

"Oh my gosh," gasped Hunk, passing his binoculars to Shiro. Pidge was already punching in codes for the castle.

"Hello, Number Five. This is the castleship. State your emergency," came Coran's cheerful voice over the phone.

"A courtship ritual is occurring between a Mer and an exceedingly rare Myth 2 o'clock from the castle. You might want to get that on tape. _Please_ get that on tape."

"Sure thing," said Coran. "Ah, I see them. Adjusting cameras to night vision and capturing this in high-resolution. Goodness! This is indeed a rare sight."

"You bet your moustache it is," grinned Pidge.

"Everyone's got to see this," wailed Hunk as he rushed into the house to get the rest of the McClains to come take a look.

"This is so going to be on their wedding video," said Pidge as he took some pictures of it on his tablet.  
  


* * *

  
"Are you even trying?" laughed Lance as he poked his head out of the water to watch Keith attempt a double loop mid-air.

"Shut up and let me do my thing, Lance!" Keith yelled back. He laughed as his tail got in the way and derailed his to-be perfect circle. It was challenging trying to mirror Lance's flips but he had wings and plenty of sky. The thrill of somersaulting in mid-flight and knowing he was safe if he fell took his breath away.

"Beat that!" shouted Keith as he finally managed a triple turn before almost hitting the water.

"Not fair! I can't go that high in the air, asshole!" yelled back Lance. "Start lower!"

"Sure," laughed Keith. "Sore loser."

"I'll show you 'sore loser'!" yelled Lance.

They continued for a while before Keith lazily swooped down and stayed low. That was the cue. They knew what to do, having discussed it earlier. They had practised long enough and Keith felt he had enough control to do this.

Keith continued gliding in large circles, never touching the water but staying as close as he could to the surface. Once he had a rhythm going, Lance swam closer, staying clear of the flames.

The Mer mirrored him in the water, his eyes and scales glowing a soft, iridescent blue that Keith could see. Drops of fire fell from his wings and tail into the water. Lance kept swimming, moving fast enough so the scalding heat wouldn't reach him.

He could see Keith up close like this, could see the shape of every feather and every claw. He could feel the heat, feel the thrill of being close to one of the most dangerous Myths in the world. They trusted the other to play their part, to keep going.

Keith looked at the blue glow under the water. They had a steady rhythm, moving to the thrumming beat of their hearts as one.  
  
  
*  
  
  
Moonlight and fire glittered on the water, surrounding them with the light of a thousand scattered stars paving a bridge to the edge of the horizon.  
  
Lance is  _flying_  right alongside him, treading that fine line between sea and sky.

They'll go to space in the days to come, but now?  
  
The stars are right _here_.  


Keith is twenty when his life begins.

*

   
_~fin~_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've come full circle, beginning with Lance and ending with Keith! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Rec the fic to your friends if you liked it~! :D
> 
> (Edit: ...did anyone see what I did there with the whole story being about Keith's emo teenage years heheh)
> 
> As usual, our boys are really oblivious to the fact they are doing a courtship dance. I enjoy the contrast between what they think they're doing and what people looking at them see. (Keith did that a lot in this story, he's just too pure, they both are~ talk to me if you wanna know more~~~)
> 
> note: i'm using Veradera Beach since that's how the subtitles spelt it. It be a fictional beach~ XD  
> (...i listened to 'Arrival of the Birds' to envision the klance courtship/keith in flight, give it a shot and read those sections with that track in the bkground!)
> 
> This chapter took a long time because I had to rewrite a few times as it didn't work for me. I finally decided, heck it, I'm gonna write that gratuitous beach chapter right here, right now. There's a lot of material that didn't make it in too, including:  
> \- Luna's interactions with Keith  
> \- much more fun courtship stuff involving nesting habits and feathers  
> \- all of Keith's backstory (which I threw out with the first few drafts of this chapter)  
> \- keith's recovery and time-out in the pod  
> \- keith's part-galran heritage and how it affects stuff, including his 'courtship rituals'
> 
> UPDATE: Chasing Myths Side stories excerpts, updates and stuff will be on my tumblr! Check it out if you want more~
> 
> We've come to the end of the story and it's been an amazing journey. I'm immensely grateful for every reader that read it, gave a kudos or (yay!!!) *commented*~ I will still try to reply to every comment~ I couldn't have done this without the support and encouragement from YOU! Thank youuuu! m(^_^)m
> 
> If you feel up to it, [buy me a coffee!](https://ko-fi.com/A324KTL)  
> I'm very broke and being able to afford an extra cup of tea will really help power my fic writing(or drawing)... XD  
> Or you can visit [my tumblr](http://amarukei.tumblr.com) for some klance fanart~ Would really appreciate a little support for my art!  
> http://amarukei.tumblr.com  
> (my instagram is the same username!)  
> If you just wanna get the latest fic and art updates or drop me a message, just hop down to my [twitter](http://twitter.com/amarukei)~!
> 
> ~~~~
> 
> My other fics: [A Knight And His Dragon ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10589304/chapters/23406498)(Hunk x Keith)
> 
> Fics in progress that are underway and will be out soon:
> 
> Artist and Writer AU:
> 
> Lance is a college kid who's a freelance writer and Keith is an artist. Lance goes to the office Keith runs errands for and he thinks he's stumbled upon some sort of conspiracy where everyone around Keith seems to be making sure that Keith doesn't get a single donut.
> 
> Occult AU: A series of one-shots of an occult-paranormal-conspiracy club and its members.  
> I don't really know how to describe this because it is kind of ridiculous. Read it for yourself and you'll see why... :D Contains Klance and Shatt.  
> my notes in chapter 2 of this occult au fic: 
> 
> shiro : wanna go on a trip?  
> matt : TO FIND ALIENS?  
> shiro : ...uhh....our honeymoon...?  
> matt : ALIENS.  
> matt: Pidge is gonna be so jealous of us!  
> shiro : i'll book tickets-  
> matt : BOUGHT. Pidge isn't the only hacker in the family.
> 
> Also! Joined the Klance Bigbang 2017! Oh gosh I am happy but I'm also going to die writing.


End file.
